Eight Hundred Legends of Life
by Wolf no naku koro ni
Summary: Kid gets hurt on a mission. The only thing he remembers before going blind is a mysterious wolf with red markings and a flaming disk on her back. In a desperate attempt at redemption, Kid wanders out into the forest only to be found by a girl with wolf ears and a tail. If he sees her again, he wants to know who this person is and why she saved him. He's in for a big surprise.
1. Chapter 1

**I do not own Soul Eater or any other media referred to in this fanfiction.**

It is said that when the world began, there were two ultimate beings that ruled over everything—the plants, the animals, even the humans lived in harmony under them. They were called Life and Death, Sanity and Madness. A God of Death and a Goddess of Life. A Shinigami and, less commonly known now, an Inochigami. Two separate beings that could not live without each other.

However, fate did not favor them to reign together in eternity. Eight hundred years ago, a witch who called herself the Spider Queen used the power of the sixth incarnations of the gods, Lord Death and Ikiru. With the destruction of Death and Madness of Life, she created demonic weapons of insanity and devastation. With her army, the Spider Queen tried to overthrow the gods.

It is untold what happened during the time of war, however, I know how it ended. Ikiru, the beautiful wolf goddess of Life itself, decided her Madness could no longer be in the world. Lord Death took her responsibilities upon himself—something no one had ever done for the Inochingami before. Ikiru left. Death was sad, but he promised her and himself that he would continue the world as if she never was.

_**Tracing the depths of my memories,**_

_**I fasten together my crumbling heart, no place left to go**_

_**Come here once again and **_

_**Take my hand, take me away to the ends of eternity**_

_**Dashing forward, I find a way to know the**_

_**Future. Time races ahead and **_

_**I see tomorrow, but**_

_**I cannot hide my heart now fraught with anxiety.**_

_**My thoughts I release in a rasping voice**_

_**Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart.**_

_**Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,**_

_**Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!**_

The sun was burning hot as it shone, laughing, over a small Japanese village. The fields of the village, ripe with rice and other food, were surprisingly empty. At this hour, the citizens of the village would rush to gather and harvest as much food as they could, but all was silent. It was as if this was a ghost town. There was no mistaking it. A Kishin was terrorizing the village.

"At last," a voice called into the valley.

That voice belongs to none other than Death the Kid, the son of Death himself. The teen was currently flying over the small town on his hovering skateboard, his two weapons in hand.

"Hey, Kid," the eldest of his weapons, Liz, said. "Where is everyone? There's plenty of food to harvest, so why aren't they off their lazy butts?"

"For starters, a Kishin egg has been running them off," Kid replied. "Several people have been killed whenever they go near the fields; it seems this Kishin wants them to himself. People have died as a result, and several fields destroyed."

"A Kishin with an interest in food?" Liz questioned. "Don't they usually eat just souls?"

"He must be a big eater," Patti giggled. Kid narrowed his eyes.

"This isn't like what we're used to fighting," Kid warned in a serious tone. The other two turned to look at him. "Father told me that this particular Kishin… was born from an animal's soul."

"An animal?" Liz echoed.

"It hasn't been heard of," Kid continued. "Animals don't perceive Madness the same way that humans do. They are, to say… accustomed to it. You're as surprised as I am. Anyway, keep on guard and stay in weapon form; we don't know what we're up against."

Evil Brewing; A Kishin Egg Formed From a Wolf's Soul?

Kid landed his skateboard at the edge of the village, facing the dark, creepy forest. The trees were too thick to fly through, so he'd just have to proceed on foot. He began searching the forest for any sign of distress. There were no markings on the trees, no prints in the dirt, nothing even slightly out of place.

"That's weird," Kid muttered as he walked along. "All the animals are gone."

He looked down at the ground. Next to his feet in a patch of dry leaves was a bloody paw print—clearly of the wolf or dog family. He stared at the print more intensely, recognizing traces of black blood on the foliage as well. Now he knew he was in the right place. He turned when he heard a low growl sound behind him. He aimed his weapons skillfully, waiting for the monster to show itself.

The beast stepped into the light, snarling viciously. Kid gasped. It was a large, black, mutated wolf-dog. It was abnormally large, its tail dripping with black blood. The Kishin snarled aggressively and curled its tail at an unnatural position. The black blood at the tip stiffened and slashed at Kid like a blade. The boy dodged the attack and opened fire at his target.

"Kid, focus!" Liz snapped as the blood slicer hit Kid. Kid was repelled roughly against a thick tree trunk. After sliding to the ground, Kid groaned and swayed to his feet.

"Are you okay?"

"Fine," Kid lied, preparing himself to fight again. His vision blurred slightly, and he shook his head once. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw a white flash. He lost his concentration completely as he stared at the white entity in a daze. Three white wolves, one with a flaming disk and red markings on hers back, were running through the trees. Not even Liz's voice could snap him out of his trance. Everything seemed to move silently and slowly up until that moment.

The Kishin charged at him, bloody spikes being fired randomly and mercilessly in Kid's direction. He felt stabbing pain all over his body as he was thrown back again. Everything went black as he lost consciousness.

"Kid!" the girls shouted, transforming into human form to ensure that he was alright. He clearly wasn't.

"Patti," Liz barked.

"Right," her sister nodded somewhat seriously and transformed for her. Liz wasn't sure if she'd even be able to land a hit on the advancing monster; it was likely that they could die without Kid being able to help.

Suddenly, three white figures blurred before them, cutting into the Kishin and driving it away. They looked like the Japanese wolves that had been hunted down centuries ago, but that was impossible—all endangered species are on Stein's waiting-to-dissect list. Liz stared at them in disbelief. Were they trying to save them? She thought she caught a glimpse of a flaming shield in one wolf's mouth, but didn't get a good look before they were all out of sight. Liz and Patti stared after the four beings in shock, surprised, relieved, and extremely grateful to whomever it was that led it away. They didn't hesitate another second; they immediately turned to tend to their meister.

Soul Eater

Liz will never forget that moment. She, Patti, Blackstar, Tsubaki, Maka, and Soul had all gathered outside of the dispensary for what felt like hours. It was late at night, but when the others heard about what happened, they insisted upon coming to the DWMA. When Professor Stein came out of the room, he told them what everyone was afraid to hear.

"He'll live," Stein spoke quietly, lighting a cigarette as he did so. "His body was able to diffuse the black blood on contact. However, the trauma from the attack caused great damage to Kid's eyes. Death the Kid is permanently blind."

"What?" Liz asked. "No, that can't be right! Let us see him."

"Go ahead," Stein nodded to the infirmary door. "But I doubt you'll like what you see."

Inside, Kid was sitting up on one of the beds, staring ahead blankly. His golden eyes had dulled to a yellow-tinted grey. He looked up when he heard them, his eyes unfocused slightly as he searched for what he could no longer see.

"Kid?" Liz asked, unable to make her voice louder than a whisper. She collapsed to her knees in front of him, dipping her head in sorrow as she began to sob at his feet. "Kid, I'm so… I'm so sorry."

"Liz?" Kid asked, reaching out blindly to her. "Liz, what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did something happen to Patti? Talk to me! You're freaking me out, Liz…."

Liz got to her feet again and wrapped him in a tight hug of security. She hated herself for letting this happen. Kid hesitantly wrapped his arms around her as well. He was so scared and weak—it was pathetic. He was a grim reaper. He shouldn't be taken down by something this small.

Everyone was silent in a state of shock and disbelief. How could they grasp this? Their comrade, their friend, was blind? Forever? How would this affect Kid? Would he still be able to fight and, in the long run, surpass his father as the next Grim Reaper?

** It will get better, I promise! I will post a couple more chapters today, just to make sure you get a clear view of the basic storyline of this first arc. I have composed this fanfiction to be the most epic I have ever written; all I need is a couple reviews to tell me how I'm doing. Thank you so much! **

** Oh my gosh, thank you for clicking on this story! I have been constructing this series for months and I hope that my efforts aren't at all wasted. Firstly, this is a KidxOC fanfiction, and it will end up having 88 chapters. I hope I can publish the last chapter as a New Year's special, so I need all your support to get that far!**


	2. Chapter 2

The next morning, Liz found herself looking out her bedroom door and into the hallway where Kid was running his thin, pale fingers against the bottom edge of a picture frame. He was trying to see if it was level, as he had been since he got home. He was crying quietly. Why couldn't he at least keep things symmetrical? If he really was blind, then there wasn't much point in maintaining symmetry anyway.

"Kid?" Liz asked quietly, putting a hand on his shoulder. Kid jumped, startled. "Are you okay?"

Kid gazed in the range of her voice. His eyes rippled with fresh tears. Liz pulled the crying boy close and murmured words of security in his ear. Of course it was the boy with OCD that went blind.

Dreams are a strange thing. You're dying, but in the forest, they want you to live. There was a certain girl perched in a tree combing through her long, snowy white hair. She wanted to see Kid live. She wanted to see him surpass his father, and she would do anything to make sure he did.

"_Only time praises me, Why won't it stop?_" she sang to herself.

"_Nee kando zero, sukoshi tarinai atama wo_

**My emotions are zero, my head is missing a bit**

_Furishibotte agaitetatte nanimo _

** Even if I muster, even if I struggle**

_Kawaranai no sa_

** Nothing changes**

_Sandome no uso wa mou barete shimatta yo_

** The third lie has already been exposed**

_Hiraki nao tsute sa_

** Be serious**

_Shiranai, Shiranai, Shiranai!_

** I don't know, I don't know, I don't know!**"

She fell silent as she drew the sharp rock across the river of her hair, cutting it just below her chin.

**Kioku no oku tadoru**

**Yukiba naku kawareyuku kokoro tsunagitome**

**Mou ichido kono basho de**

**Te wo totte eien' no hate e tsuredashite**

**Kakedashi toki ga hashiridasu**

**Mirai wo shiru sono sube wo nigirishime**

**Ashita wo mitsuketa no**

**Demo fuan do shou ga nai kokoro wo kakusenai**

**Kasureta koe de tobashita omoi mo**

**Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

**Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

**Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!**

The next day at school was exceptionally challenging. Although his partners, friends, and even his own father was supportive of Kid taking the day off, the stubborn boy asserted that he attend school. It was a classic game; ignore the unusual, and it would probably go away.

He always needed help from his partners; if it weren't for them, he would constantly be running into walls and tripping to the floor. The floor was cold and hard and, despite what the vampire romance novelists think, not at all inviting.

Struggling; A Mysterious Girl with the Ability to Heal Broken Hearts?

Ame stood at the foot of the massive stone steps leading to the DWMA. Why did she have to walk up all those stairs? She was just a guest going to speak with Lord Death. A woman stood behind her, a nervous look in her golden eyes as she fiddled with her long, grey-tipped white hair.

"I'll be fine Mom," Ame reassured her. "This is my first time alone in the human realm, but it's a get in, get out job. I'll speak to Lord Death about the Kishin and have it exterminated. You don't have to worry about me."

"I wonder how Kid's doing today," Maka talked to Soul quietly as she, Soul, and Tsubaki browsed through the school library. "I didn't see him in class."

"Stein said something about a special class," Soul said. "Makes sense, I guess, considering…."

"Don't say it," Maka warned. Soul complied without a fight; things had been stressed at the limit since Kid's injury. Tsubaki put a reassuring hand on Maka's shoulder.

They were unaware of a certain girl watching them through gaps in the bookshelves.

"They're so unhappy," she thought. "If only I could help like I was destined to, but now humans won't be able to see my efforts if I tried. I'm a useless god."

She continued to watch them, never expecting Soul to turn around and actually see her. The girl looked down, pretending to be engrossed in the books in front of her before she realized they were way too close to her face to actually read. She glanced back at Soul, who was still watching her. He was grinning at her now, particularly at the snowy white tail peeking out from under her skirt. He assumed it was just for cosplay. The girl blushed bright red and inched her way behind the other end of the bookshelves. She glanced around the corner, relieved when she didn't see him. As a matter of fact, she didn't see any of them. She heard a small chuckle and looked around the other corner. There—she saw something move!

"Soul, cut it out," Maka reprimanded. "Just because you're bored doesn't mean you can just…." She trailed off, glimpsing at the girl. Suddenly, she felt intense joy wash over her, and she wanted to join in their little game. She didn't know what was wrong, or if anything was wrong at all, but she motioned for Tsubaki to follow her as she crept around the edge of the bookshelf.

The wolf-girl shyly hid behind the edge of the bookshelf again, glancing behind her to see if Soul was still following her. Surely her playful Madness wavelength would prevent him from wanting to abandon their childish game, but she wanted to make sure. No Soul in sight, but he was waiting behind the other edge. She was about to wait him out when a girl with blonde pigtails skipped up next to her.

"Hi there!" Maka greeted. The girl took a step away, unintentionally jumping into the middle of the aisle. Another girl with longer black hair stood behind the other bookshelf. Reinforcements, she was doomed!

"No escape now," Tsubaki leered with a smile.

They stepped towards her, driving her down the aisle. The girl followed their motions non-competitively when they stopped walking and began laughing quietly. He was right behind her, wasn't he? She slowly turned around, her plushy tail all frizzed out and rigid. Soul was only a few inches away from her. She met his crimson eyes without fear. She smiled at him, wagging her tail to signal she was having fun. Soul grinned back and stared at her eyes, seeing their odd color.

"One gold and one green, huh?" he noticed. "Kid would have a heart attack."

"Do you know who I am?" the wolf girl asked, her tail moving ominously.

"No."

"Good," she purred.

"Hey, be quiet in the library," a sharp voice chided. Soul turned around to see Kid sitting there, staring ahead blankly, his hand on a book. Looks like he'd been annoyed with all the laughing.

"Oh, sorry, Kid," Soul apologized immediately.

"Is that you, Soul?" Kid asked, his eyes wandering over to their small group. "Who were you talking to?"

Soul looked back to where the girl had been standing a second ago. She was gone now. Maka and Tsubaki glanced throughout the aisles, to see if she was hiding somewhere, but she'd disappeared entirely.

"Uh… it was nothing, Kid, forget about it."

They didn't want to trouble him.

Soul Eater

"Who do you think that girl was?" Maka asked Soul in between classes. "I've never seen her around the academy before."

"Maybe she wasn't a student," Soul suggested. "I don't know why she was here, but she seemed to just be messing around. Maybe she's a relative of one of the staff members?"

"Maybe," Maka looked up as she saw the same mysterious girl, wolf tail, headband, and all, walking away from the Death Room and down the hallway. No one else seemed very interested in her, but Maka couldn't help but feel suspicious. She continued watching the girl as she walked out the front door and into the court yard where little Fire and Thunder were chasing each other. One of the twins tripped and fell down a few feet away from the girl.

The girl went out of her way to approach him and pick him back up. She set him down on his feet and patted his head kindly, then went on her way. The twins stared after her with intense interest for a long time. They seemed to see something about her that no one else did.

"I can't do it," Kid said in defeat as they were training later. He and his two partners were alone in the backyard of his grand mansion, trying to hit targets. Kid put his arms down; he couldn't even hit a target one hundred feet away. He knew it; he was hopeless.

"Let's just try something else," Liz suggested, her reflection glancing off the side of the pistol.

"Like what?" Kid turned to her, almost glaring. His disconcertingly blank stare made Liz repress a shudder. After a moment of silence, Kid sighed. "Fine," he grumbled, raising the twins again.

He couldn't even begin to find the target to aim at, but he tried doing a little more this time than he had been. He closed his eyes in concentration, let his soul reach out to those of his companions, and let them guide him. He hesitated, afraid of failure, but put his faith forward and pulled the trigger. It sounded like an impact.

"Perfect hit," Liz reported.

"Really?" Kid couldn't believe the success.

"We did it!" Patti hailed. "Maybe we can go on missions now!"

"You think so?" Kid laughed. He did it. He could do it. Things looked brighter now. Maybe he would be able to pull through this time after all.

They were all so joyous that not even Liz and Patti were aware of someone watching them. It was a girl lying on her stomach on the roof, watching their training as it continued. Two large white wolves lay on either side of her, keeping guard. None of them were very used to the big city. One wolf turned his head and let out a throaty growl.

"It's okay," the girl said, scratching the bridge of his muzzle. "Five more minutes."

"Ame, are you sure we should be doing this?"

"Stop complaining," she corrected. "He's Lord Death's son. If he dies, Madness will reign free. Humans can no longer accept our madness like before. We're going to stay in the forest where we can't bother anyone."

"But you completely reset—"

A small cry echoed through the yard. Ame looked down again to see Kid twitch violently, dropping his weapons, and collapse to his knees. He put a hand over his eyes in obvious distress. Ame stared at the scene as his two weapons transformed and tried to help him.

"He's blind," she realized. "What happened to him? It's as if I can sense compressed wavelengths of Madness in his eyes…."

"Kid, what's wrong?" Liz asked, touching the side of his face and gently pulling his hand away to reveal his eyes.

"It still hurts," he whispered frantically, his eyes wide and his pupils narrowed to pinpricks with fear. He began clawing at his eyes, blood splattering on the grass. Liz pulled him to his feet and took him inside the house. Kid followed her cautiously, sitting down on the couch as she wanted him to.

"Here," she said, handing him a cool, wet cloth. Kid pressed it to his face, grateful for the soothing water.

"Thank you," he sighed in relief. "I feel better now. I don't know what happened; it just started to hurt again all of a sudden."

"I don't like the sound of that," Liz murmured, touching his face with her hands. She leaned forward and kissed his forehead gently. Kid blushed. He'd never been kissed by her before. He'd never thought of Liz in any special way… not really… but…. He felt so alone now.

"I hate this," Kid whispered. He was sick of crying, sick of being afraid. Liz drew him close to her in a tight embrace, as she had so often lately. They were completely over the slightly awkward feeling when they touched each other.

"Don't be. It's okay now. We did well during training, so you have nothing to worry about right now. We'll keep training and you'll be able to fight again, don't worry."

"Stop lying to me!" Kid cried. "You know I can't live like this! Look at me; I'm blind! There's nothing that can be done about it, so just give it up."

"Kid…." Did he really just say that? Was he really just going to give up? They were doing so well, though. How could…? Of course. It was the inevitable truth. Kid was blind. He didn't _want_ to live like this. He needed something, but Liz wasn't enough to fill that position anymore. She never was.

**This chapter is a bit sadder. It's also a bit longer. Well, I'll keep working at it and have the rest posted soon.**


	3. Chapter 3

Kid was losing confidence in himself. He thought he was virtually useless, a burden to others… disgusting. He hated himself for being so weak in the heat of battle, leaving the girls to defend themselves. He didn't deserve to live anymore. He needed to be alone for a while to think.

That's why he was there, stumbling around in the forest. Alone to think about everything that had happened in these past few weeks, Kid was depressed after a while. Maybe this wasn't the best idea. After all the trouble he's endured so far, was he really sure that it was all for not?

He didn't know what to do. There was just a big, empty piece of his soul that was missing. Why couldn't he just be happy with his friends? He had everything anyone would dream of; why was he so selfish?

Kid found himself lying on the ground, almost passed out from exhaustion and… cold? He didn't care to bring a jacket, so the dropping temperature was free to eat at his stamina and strength. There was no getting back now. He was shaking and had scraped his arms and legs slightly when he fell. You'd think that the scent of blood would have attracted something by now.

"Just let me die already!" Kid cried out to the dark night. It was getting even colder and silent. Kid wanted to scream some more, but withheld it. He heard something. Footsteps? Yes, they were heavy footsteps, accompanied by the thick breathing of a large animal. Kid couldn't quite feel where it was coming from through the numbness in his body, but he anticipated it touching him soon. He expected some long, sharp claws or teeth, crushing his skin and bones and consuming his soul.

There was a soft thud, and Kid sensed something draw very close to him.

This was it.

Kid's Healer; A Witch Out To Get The DWMA?

Instead of claws, he felt soft, warm fingers wrap around his arms. He gasped; it was human? He could tell as it drew him closer that it was a girl. Kid wasn't sure if he was dreaming or dead already. He felt something like a furry animal tail wrap around him, keeping him warm. Although his primary objective was to die, Kid rejoiced for the comfort and hospitality. She began to sing to him.

Her voice was like a million angels. It soothed Kid's troubled soul. He didn't know when the change happened, but he suddenly felt so content, so… complete in comparison to only a few moments ago. This girl… she was perfect. He tried to reach out to her, to make sure she was real. His hand touched her neck; he felt warmth of blood in her veins. He wasn't dead.

"**Kioku no oku tadoru**,

"**Yukiba naku kawareyuku kokoro tsuRintome**

** Mou ichido kono basho de**

** Te wo totte eien' no hate e tsuredashite**

** Kakedashi toki ga hashiridasu**

** Mirai wo shiru sono sube wo nigirishime**

** Ashita wo mitsuketa no**

** Demo fuan do shou ga nai kokoro wo kakusenai**

** Kasureta koe de tobashita omoi mo**

** Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

** Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

** Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!"**

As she continued to sing, Kid felt warm, bittersweet water dripping over his face. Tears? Was she crying? The water cleansed his eyes and mixed with his own tears. He thought it would burn, but instead the warmth radiating throughout his whole body was like medicine. Pacifying. Her voice faded away and they were silent for a moment.

"Do you know who I am?" she asked. Her voice was kind of on the high side, but still soft and rolling like an elegant hum.

"No…."

"Good," she purred, setting him down and taking her leave. Kid reached out in protest, but felt sudden dizziness overcome him and fell limply to the frosty ground.

"Don't worry," a voice whispered. "We'll meet again, Dezu ze Kiddo."

"Kid! Kid, you're here!" Liz cried, kneeling beside him and wrapping her arms around him. Kid opened his eyes. "Kid, you're eyes…."

"I never thought that I would get to see your face again," Kid sighed, wrapping his arms around her in a tight hug. Everything felt perfect at last.

They went to see Stein in the infirmary the next morning.

"How is that possible?" Stein speculated as he examined Kid's flawless eyes. Kid sat in front of him, the girls watching from a few feet away. Stein turned the screw in his head, completely bemused. He turned to Liz and Patti.

"You say you just found him like this?"

"Yeah," Liz replied.

"The damage done to his eyes was too great for even lasers to heal, the weather last night wasn't very rehabilitating, and on top of all that, it's as if there was never any damage to speak of. No scars remain."

"Could it have been his healing powers?" Patti suggested.

"No, the Kishin attacked with a special type of dark magic. A young reaper's power is no match for it. That girl you talked about—she could have been a witch. Someone that wants something from us, I guess. Liz, Patti, I want you two to keep a close eye on him. If anything seems wrong, tell us."

They nodded. "We will."

"Well, then," Stein said dismissively. "You should get to class. Lord Death would probably like to speak to you as well."

Kid nodded and got to his feet. "Come on, Liz, Patti."

Liz and Patti smiled and followed their meister out of Stein's office. It felt nice to be following instead of leading. It made them happy that Kid was so much more confident now; they felt like they could truly look up to him again. Kid tried not to brag or flaunt as he calmly walked in front of Maka and Soul.

"Hey," Soul greeted.

"What's up?" Blackstar voiced his presence.

"Glad to see you're safe," Maka added. Kid smirked and looked at them with sharp eyes.

"I'm glad to see you all again," he replied. They were immediately piling over each other to get a better look at their friend.

"How?" Tsubaki asked. "Professor Stein said that there was no way."

"In his opinion, there wasn't," Kid said. He quickly reviewed everything that had happened the previous night.

"You're saying that some witch healed you?" Maka clarified after Kid finished.

"That's what I'm not really sure about," Kid admitted. "I didn't see a witch's soul. It was something else entirely… something I've never seen before."

"What about the Soul Protect?" Maka asked. "She could have been using that."

"Who knows with all the weird stuff going on lately?" he sighed. "Anyway, my father wants us to go on a special mission. He said it was kind of a celebration."

Ame stopped petting her tail and looked up from where she was sitting in a tree. A stirring filled her body, making her suddenly active. She sniffed the air slightly.

"They're coming back," she said. She smiled, baring her sharp teeth. She did a very talented back flip off the tree branch, shouting "GIRLS ARE FLEXIBLE!" She landed on her feet and began walking in a random direction, singing under her breath to herself.

"Can you please sing something else now?" Rin asked his sister irately.

Nagi and Rin sighed. Since their sister was the benevolent spirit of life, she liked to sing a lot. Yes, they were older triplet brothers to the unfamiliar incarnation herself, Okami Inochigami Amaterasu. Their mother was Ikiru, the previous goddess of life. Nagi and Rin weren't really her brothers; they were adopted, and they liked to remain in the form of wolves instead of human form like Ame.

"Where are we going?" Nagi, the eldest of the triplets, asked.

"We're going to have another go at that demon," Ame cheered, raising a fist up in the air exuberantly. "But first we're going to eat!"

Her brothers sighed again. Goddess or not, there was no doubt about it; Ame also liked to eat well.

Soul Eater

The three meisters walked about a forest on the outskirts of a Japanese village. Now they understood. Kid was getting revenge on the wolf that took his sight.

They all stopped walking, listening intently for any signs of life. Now that they were silent, they sensed that not even the birds were there. It was disconcertingly lonely.

"Maka, do you sense anything?" Kid asked.

"No. Not even the animals," Maka narrowed her eyes. "Do you?"

"Something isn't right," Kid said. He felt something within him driving him forward, but he held his ground. After another moment, they heard the distinct howl of a Kishin wolf.

"Let's go!" Maka called, bolting towards the sound.

In a clearing not too far from where they had started, a Kishin was stalking towards a young girl, who was unconscious in a heap on the ground. Maka didn't wait for the Kishin to take the girl's soul; she leapt forward to attack. Blackstar and Kid followed, attacking from the other side.

"Don't let it touch you!" Kid called to the others, who nodded. This was the beast that blinded him. Today, he gets even. He aimed straight for its eyes and pulled the trigger.

They all turned to examine the strange girl. Her body, which had been broken and bloody just moments ago, was now flawless and clear. She had white hair, but not an ashy blonde like Soul's; her shade resembled more like pure white snow. Her hairstyle was unusual for a girl; it was cropped short and flipped up a bit on the ends in a fluffy cowlick. It looked like a slightly more girlish version of Kid's haircut. When Kid and Maka examined her soul, they saw she had three black streaks on the right half of it. The oddest thing about her, however, was that she had two plushy wolf ears on top of her head and a fluffy, grey-tipped wolf tail to match.

"That's the girl we met in the library," Soul said stepping forward. "That headband makes it look like she has wolf's ears."

"I don't think that's a headband," Maka said. Kid leaned forward and put his hand on the girl's forehead.

"This is the wolf girl that saved us," Liz realized. "Um, right Kid? Kid?"

The said boy was staring intently at the girl, and for a moment, Liz thought he was actually remembering something from before he got hurt. He brushed her bangs out of her face, his face unreadable. Kid opened his mouth as if to say something, but put his hand under his chin instead with one finger pointing out.

"Now, she's symmetrical," he said, a joyous glint in his eye. Liz groaned and began banging her head on a tree. "Now," Kid said, picking her up. "We should get her to the Academy. She can probably help us."

Before she fell into a deep sleep, the she-wolf felt someone wrapping their arms around her and picking her up like a child. She was used to much rougher conditions if she was ever carried around, such as being carried by the scruff of her neck, but this isn't what caught her attention. This person smelled human. Well, for the most part; it was a grim reaper. A Shinigami. She relaxed once she recognized the scent, knowing she'd be safe with him. It was Death's son… however she shall address him now.

**Hello again! Now that we have a few more chapters on the plate, things are shaping up. So Ikiru had a daughter named Ame; she also adopted two Japanese wolves that she named Nagi and Rin. More of their stories will be revealed at a later time, but I don't want to spoil anything before the time is right. **

** Anyway, hit that review button to tell me how I'm doing.**


	4. Chapter 4

As Kid gathered the young wolf-girl in his arms, Ame couldn't help but be reminded of the legend of a white wolf from which she was named after.

Ame moaned slightly and her head began to lift. "Hey, Kid…"

"Hey, I think she's waking up."

"Do you know who I am?" a playful smile danced across the wolf's lips.

_**My thoughts I release in a rasping voice**_

_**Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart.**_

_**Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,**_

_**Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!**_

Ame was sleeping in the infirmary, where Kid and the others had left them for the night. Stein was now watching her where she rested on a bed, staring at her from where he sat across the room at a desk. Spirit stood in a corner, staring at her uncertainly. Naigus was in the background, sorting through files indifferently. She didn't sense anything wrong with the girl.

"Stein, are you sure we have to do this?" Spirit asked.

"She has a strong Madness wavelength and should be contained for the safety of the teachers and students here at the academy." Stein stated, turning the screw in his head.

"I understand perfectly," Spirit agreed. "She has a source of great power at her reach."

The girl inhaled sharply, opening her eyes. She leapt to her feet and bolted for the door.

"Oh no, you don't," Stein muttered, lunging towards her. The wolf only paused when the blade of a scythe blocked her path.

Kid's Savior; The Voice of a Goddess?

"What do you mean she was locked up?" Kid demanded. After class, he had come alone to meet Stein at the nurse's office to check on the wolf girl, but was startled when she wasn't there.

"She's too powerful and too unpredictable to keep loose," Stein replied defensively. "We aren't sure what she is yet, but she has a power that needs to be contained."

"Where is she?" Kid asked. This couldn't happen.

"Where else?" Stein replied as if it was obvious. "The dungeon."

Kid turned on his heel and began running down the hallway. He was kind of glad he didn't run into his friends on his way down the stairs; he honestly needed to pursue this wolf girl alone despite his strict orders to have one of his friend/bodyguards around him at all times. He paused in front of the cell labeled, "Wolf Girl."

"Wolf!" he called, pounding his fist on the door. "Are you the one who saved me?"

There was a slight rattling inside the cell. The girl was bound by her arms and legs and chained to the wall. Her ears perked at the sound of his voice. She recognized him… his scent. She sniffed feebly, trying to recall his name or face.

"Please, I have to know!" Kid insisted. "Did you give me my sight back? I was alone in the forest one night. Someone was there—I'd recognize you by your tail and ears. Please…."

The wolf shifted again. Was he talking to her? She'd kind of fallen asleep in the darkness, and was perplexed since she just woke up. Kid sighed and backed away from the door. He probably had the wrong idea. He was about to walk away when a voice stopped him. It was beautiful, angelic… perfect.

"**Kioku no oku tadoru**

"**Yukiba naku kawareyuku kokoro tsurintome**

** Mou ichido kono basho de**

** Te wo totte eien' no hate e tsuredashite…"**

Kid sighed in relief and pressed his hand against the door. "It is you."

"You're the blind reaper, aren't you?" she whispered.

"Yes," Kid replied. "My name is Death the Kid. I wanted to thank you for restoring my sight. You don't know how much it means to me."

"I am… Ame," she told him. "I am the eighth incarnation of Life, and that is all I am. I'd appreciate it if that stayed between us."

"Huh?" Kid was lost. A goddess of Life? That was made up. But of course he would keep her secret. "Alright," Kid nodded. "I need to talk to my father about this. If you truly are who you say you are, then you shouldn't be locked up like this. It was nice to speak with you… Ame."

"Am I alone again?" Ame thought as Kid disappeared down the corridor. "Hmm. It appears we are. Well, what do we do now? It's boring being detained like this. The least they could do is torture me or something." She sighed and began mumbling a song. "Moshi kono sekai ga subete…."

"Stop singing!"

"Darn it."

Once in the Death Room, Kid tried to find out more about what Ame said.

"A goddess of life, you say?" Lord Death inquired. Kid nodded.

"Father, what was she talking about?" Kid seemed the slightest bit desperate.

"I never knew anything about a wolf girl in our custody," Lord Death changed the subject abruptly. "However, from what you told me, I have a good idea of who she is and I assure you no harm will come to her."

"Good, I guess," Kid sighed. When he looked up, his father seemed distant, as if he was no longer listening to the conversation at hand. "Father, is something wrong?"

"Oh, sorry, Kid," the other apologized for his absent-mindedness. "I was thinking about something else. I'll still have to speak with this girl myself, but she's safe so you don't have to worry."

Kid nodded, still slightly unsure. Lord Death continued to space out, considering the inconsiderable. Was Ikiru's child really here again? Was it true? The description fit; a white wolf girl with the innocence of a goddess and the power to heal both physical and mental injuries of Madness.

He wasn't worried about Kid finding out; he'd upheld his promise and hadn't even told his own son about Ikiru's fate.

Soul Eater

Ame didn't know if she was sitting there with her eyes open or she'd been sleeping when the door opened. She looked up at the light flooding the room; it was so bright…. As her eyes adjusted, she saw Spirit standing in front of her, holding a lantern and a tray.

"Dinner time," he announced, kneeling in front of her. He proceeded to serve her spoon-fulls of cold soup. Ame compliantly ate the cold mush, putting her ears forward bitterly after the third bite.

"I want to go home," she complained quietly, not really expecting him to care. However, the innocent statement struck a chord with Spirit. He tensed and looked up at her. She was young; no older than his own daughter.

"We didn't want to keep you here, but we had no choice," he explained dryly. "You must have information about the strange new Kishin eggs. If I unbind you, you will run, and you're the only thing we have right now."

"You're right," she admitted. "I'm afraid of humans. All I can do now is submit my body and soul to you."

"Don't think anything disgusting, don't think anything disgusting," Spirit thought to himself frantically.

"Come on, eat up," he chided, putting the spoon in front of her mouth.

"I can go months without food," she replied, turning her nose. "Feed me then."

"What happened to submission?" he thought.

"It won't come to that," he said out loud. "All you have to do is tell us what you know. Then Lord Death will decide what to do with you. He will speak with you in the morning."

Although she tried maintaining a disinterested façade, Ame's ears twitched.

"Take me now," she said.

**I know that's kind of an odd place to end it! But here's a bonus to make it all better!**

**Bonus! **

"Man, these chapters are going slow," Kid mumbled. He was sitting against the door of Ame's cell.

"I know, but I finally got to meet you," Ame said optimistically.

"I don't even know what you look like yet," Kid disagreed. "I mean, aren't we half way through the fanfiction and we just now met?"

"Maybe we should add more Kira chapters," Ame agreed.

"So, how long have you been trapped here?" Kid asked.

"About seven hours."

Kid twitched. "Um… I don't mean to offend you or anything, but could you say eight instead?"

"Eight? Why?"

"Well, you see… I'm a bit obsessed with symmetry and eight is more symmetrical than seven…."

Ame's ears pricked. "Sym…me…try?"

"You're right, I'm sorry," Kid stuttered. "I know it's annoying and I really should be a bit more sensitive since we're talking about your confinement."

"No, it's alright," Ame smiled. Her voice seemed kind of dreamy. "You know, I kind of like you, Kid. Besides, you'll be happy to know that, remember when I was saying I was a reincarnation of Life?"

"Yes…"

"Well, I'm the third! There's Life, Shiranui, Amaterasu, Chibiterasu, Rin, Ikiru, and me!"

"But that's only seven," Kid complained.

"Oh, yeah! You know how Asura is your older brother? Well, I had an older sister 800 years ago, but she died. It was her absence that drove Asura mad in the first place."

"Oh, so it's a one cannot live without the other thing," Kid nodded in understanding. "I hope we get more answers in the next chapter."

"Read it!" Ame ordered. "Or I'll take your soul!"

"You can't pull that off," Kid said. "You're just too cute and innocent."

"I'll show you cute and innocent!" Ame shouted, clearly enraged. She struggled against her bindings. "Let me tear you limb from limb! That'll teach you not to call a wolf cute!"


	5. Chapter 5

"Hey, Spirit! I see you've brought me the wolf-girl," Lord Death greeted cheerfully. His face changed slightly when he saw Spirit leading Ame by a chain. She looked like no more than a dog. "Oh, those restraints aren't necessary by now. You should let her have free hands."

He held his hands up as if imitating submission. Spirit gave him a confused look, but complied. Kneeling next to the teenager, he began removing the complex chains.

"Don't try anything funny," he warned. "I won't hesitate to stop you."

Ame didn't seem scared to be in the presence of Death. After sniffing the air once, her tail lowered and her ears flopped to either side of her head in a relaxed position.

"There, you don't have to be afraid," Lord Death said, waving one of his hands toward the coffee table. "Tea?"

Spirit gawked at Lord Death in disbelief. He was honestly offering her tea during the interrogation?

_**My thoughts I release in a rasping voice**_

_**Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart.**_

_**Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,**_

_**Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!**_

Ame sipped at the lemon and catnip tea that Lord Death gave her. The warmth was soothing and accommodating; she relaxed some more. She flipped her tail once and looked back up.

"Well, I didn't expect to see you again this soon," Ame said.

"Yes, I know," Lord Death agreed. "Wasn't it just the day before yesterday that we last saw each other?"

"You know each other?" Spirit asked in shock.

"Don't look so surprised," Lord Death said. "You think the gods of life and death don't know each other? Although I haven't seen Ikiru in 800 years. We don't keep in touch, you see?"

"Your own son didn't recognize me," Ame nodded her head smugly, laughing slightly. "I'm impressed."

"You're the spitting image of that wolf," Lord Death continued. "All except your hair; Ikiru grew hers longer when she was young."

Ame had hers in a short bob style that suspiciously resembled Kid's haircut. Ame tried to wave the 'coincidence' off.

"I like it like this," she said.

"And it doesn't look too bad either," he agreed. "Ikiru never liked having short hair. She grew it very long so the children could play with it if they wanted to."

Ame smiled. "I'm sure they liked that."

"The students here seem fond of you as well," he added. "I see you've been skulking around here quite a bit since Kid got hurt. You are like a beacon of hope to them, almost like a parent or something of the sort. But it's still strange that you made an appearance. You could have just contacted me through the mirror. I didn't expect to see another goddess of Life in these parts."

"Well, I guess I got a bit lonely," Ame replied, gazing down into her teacup.

"This interrogation is more like a cozy catch-up between old friends," Spirit scoffed. "You could have told us you were a goddess. We would've at least made you more comfortable or something."

"Like you would have believed me," Ame smiled kind-heartedly at him to show there were no hard feelings. "Inochigami are different than Shinigami. We are, to put it bluntly, Madness personified."

Spirit's eyes widened at this. "Are you serious?"

"Yes, but we are able to use it for good in our own way," Ame said, brushing her tail absentmindedly. She looked up at Lord Death. "It's okay for him to know this, right? I mean, he's your death weapon. I don't want him to kill me if he mistakes my powers for cheap magic later."

"Ah, yes, about that; Kid told me what you did for him by giving his sight back, and I am extremely grateful to you," Lord Death said. "I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. I hope you can forgive our trespass against a god such as yourself."

"It's not a problem," Ame replied. "Inochigami submit to you and your family. It's just the way we work now that the humans don't need us."

There was a strangely awkward silence as Lord Death sipped his tea. Spirit stared intently at him; something was up.

Kid and the others were waiting outside in the school courtyard.

"So, my father will probably let her go after he's gathered some information about the Kishin," Kid was telling the others later.

"Do you think we could be friends with her?" Patti asked childishly. "She kind of should want us to be friends since we saved her life and all."

"The way you guys talk about her kind of makes me want to kill her," Blackstar said nonchalantly. "But she's a bit weak for my great power."

"Maka CHOP!* It would be kind of interesting to have a wolf as a fried, don't you think?" Maka turned to her less annoying friends, holding the spine of her book.

"Yeah," Soul agreed. "As long as she didn't eat us, it would definitely be cool."

"Maybe if we kept her fed in advance, then she won't attack us," Tsubaki suggested with a laugh. "I wonder what kind of food she likes."

"Now that you mention it, what do wolves like?" Liz had surely never thought about it herself. "Maka, you study the most; don't you know?"

"I guess wolves aren't the most popular species on the planet," Maka said, sweat-dropping. _'I can believe I don't know that.'_

"Don't feel bad, Maka," Soul reassured her. "You can't know everything. We can just ask her."

Soul Eater

"Anywho, I'd like to know about the Kishin you were fighting when Kid and the others saved you."

"So it's true," Spirit said. "Animals are becoming Kishins."

"I don't know who he was or why he had the nerve to become a demon," Ame said. "He wasn't even a wolf; he was an offspring of a wolf and a dog. He had the cocky bravery of a dog and the instinct to kill like a wolf. And I'm not even sure if he was a follower of the Spider Queen. He was formidable, at that."

"Spider Queen?" Spirit asked. "Why would any of the animals be interested in Arachne?"

"It's not your fault," Lord Death ignored his question entirely. "Now, if there's no more left to discuss, I'm sure Kid would like to know about your release. Shall we pay them a visit?"

Ame nodded eagerly whilst Spirit choked on his tea.

"Thank you for the tea," Ame said graciously as she got to her feet and followed Lord Death out the door. She was such a sweet child that Lord Death couldn't help but feel slightly envious towards Ikiru for having such a daughter. Not that his son was any less, but it would have been nice if Ame could stay a bit longer.

"You see, I'm not as scary as your friends may tell you," Lord Death responded in a light tone. Ame smiled at him.

"Why are you so worried about her anyway?" Blackstar asked as they trained in the schoolyard.

"I don't know," Kid replied simply. "It's like I'm drawn to her. I don't want anything bad to happen to her."

"Your father is aware of that," Liz appeased him.

"Right," he nodded. "Then, shall we get on with our training?"

"What's up, you seven?" Lord Death asked, appearing to the side of their formation. The weapons transformed again to greet the reaper. Kid almost died throwing himself at his father's feet.

"No, Father, please, PLEASE, say eight!"

"It seemed since he regained his sight that his OCD has gotten worse," Soul noted.

"I suppose that won't be a problem since there will now be eight of you," Lord Death said, raising a hand. Kid looked up at him, as they all did, with a questioning expression. Lord Death pointed to one of the pillars to the side of the schoolyard, where Ame was hiding halfway behind one. She bounded out to meet them, "She was just on her way home; her family must be worried sick about her by now."

Kid picked himself off the ground and the others enthusiastically greeted her.

"Hey!"

"What's up?"

"Ame, you're out!" Patti cheered.

"I'm looking forward to having you around," Tsubaki smiled at her.

"You are coming back, right, Ame?" Maka asked eagerly.

Ame blushed and blinked several times. She'd never expected this. It felt like they were only seeing her for the first time, yet they were still… extremely nice to her. She was used to taking care of peoples problems, not having people thank her.

"I'm sure Ame would love to come back to Death City," Lord Death answered for her. She glanced up at him. "After all, she's always welcome and I think she's found some good friends here."

Ame nodded eagerly and turned to the others. "Lucky Eight, right?"

"You know," Blackstar said. "I was going to challenge you, but I think I'll pass this time."

"It would be a shame if I got blood on my clothes," Ame agreed.

"Hey, Kid," Liz said. "You're pretty quiet. I mean, you're the one who wanted to see her out the most."

Kid wasn't listening. He was focusing intently on Ame's eyes. She had seemed like such an admirable figure, really. She was a goddess, after all; perfectly in Kid's league. She was beautiful, smart, talented, and Kid thought he had it for her. She was even symmetrical. But there was only one, simple, enormous problem.

Ame's ears flopped once. "What is it?"

_Her eyes were two different colors_. The right one was golden, and the left one was jade green.

Kid screamed, spit up blood, and fainted on the spot. Why did it have to end like this?

** *Yeah… I just randomly bench Blackstar for no reason other than he's annoying. And hard to write _#**

** Anyway, I think that's it for today. Thank you, Candyluver2121 for being such a loyal reader. Tell your friends, tell your family, people you love, people you hate, and most importantly, spam the heck out of all the internet sights you can to advertise my fanfiction! Just kidding, seriously, that would be rude. **

** I think I forgot the title sequence in this one…. Anyway, the song I'm using to represent this fanfiction's opening is a Touhou Project song called All This Time by FELT. Check it out, if you want to. I'd always imagined the ending theme to be Threat of Rain. Anyway, I'm going to go and make a couple videos about that. **

** Again, I just want to thank anybody that decided to read this far. I know I'm not quite bringing it yet, but it gets so much better as time goes on! Just hang on! Don't go into the light!**


	6. Chapter 6

Ame was waiting outside Death City, waiting for her friends to come get her. She was slightly scared; she'd never had friends before. What if they thought she was too mature? What if they thought she was pathetic for a god? She had to make a good impression. If she'd learned anything from watching Kid all this time, she knew that being polite was probably the safest gesture when you meet new people.

"I should say hello," Ame thought to herself, her ear flicking. "I should say 'hello, Kid.'"

"He… he…." She stuttered to herself, trying to formulate the words in her mouth. "He… Hello…."

"Hello, Ame," a voice said behind her.

"Meep!" Ame squeaked. She turned around slowly to see Kid and the others behind her. "Ah-oh-he-kid-hi-yoh-kun!" she stammered. Her eyes narrowed as she blushed and looked down. "Hello, Kid."

"Nervous?" Kid asked. Ame nodded silently, her face turn down in a rather bashful pout. "That's alright. You can approach us at your own pace; we'll wait for you. Just take as much time as you need."

"Daikaiju," Ame blurted out, staring at Kid. Kid gave her an uncomfortable smile. He hadn't realized she was at least a head and a shoulder shorter than him.

"What does 'Daikaiju' mean?" Patti asked.

"Giant monster," Kid replied nonchalantly, turning on his heel and motioning for the others to follow. "Are you coming?"

**Kasureta koe de tobashita omoi mo**

**Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

**Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

**Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!**

Ame In A Devour-y Mood; What Do You Mean She Wants To Eat Him?

Ame walked beside her new friends, struggling to keep up with them. She was very distracted by the scenery and constantly took an interest in something new.

"You're easily distracted, aren't you?" Maka asked. Ame snapped to attention almost immediately.

"N-no."

"Sorry," Maka apologized. "Whenever I meet new people, I try to address their most prominent traits as soon as possible. I find it easier to get to know them then."

"Huh?" Ame's ears plushed upwards. "Sorry, I guess I don't really know how humans work."

"We don't really know how wolves work," Tsubaki responded. "So we can find out together, okay?"

"Together," Ame thought, wrapped up in odd fantasies. She was spacing out so much that she hadn't realized Kid had stopped in front of her.

"Mymph…" she squeaked as she collided head-first with him. She was so small that Kid didn't even feel it. She inhaled deeply. "Kid, move."

"Sorry about that," Kid said, stepping aside slightly. Ame watched the cars going by for a moment.

"I know how you knew it was Kid in front of you instead of someone else," Liz said, her face split in a devilish grin. "Wolves have strong noses, right?"

"Yes," Ame nodded. "We practically taste through scent."

"I bet you recognized Kid by his scent."

Ame suddenly got very angry and desperate in her embarrassment. She wanted to do something horrible. A dark aura began glowing around her as she contemplated this. Ame wanted to annoy and possibly scare her, but she didn't want Liz to get hurt either. So she couldn't bite or scratch her, and there wasn't much else she knew to do as a wolf. Then she got a faint idea; what about a body slam?

"Um, Ame?" Soul asked. "Is something wro—Are you nuts?!"

He cut himself off as Ame charged forward and sent Liz flying back quite a few feet by head-butting her in the stomach. The others stood still, surprised by the strength packed into the small girl.

"Nice head-bash," Maka complimented. Ame smiled at her, glad she wasn't angry. "Maybe after a while, I could teach you how to Maka-Chop."

"You came back quickly," Kid noted as they continued walking.

"It could be because you're kind," Ame responded. "Or it could be because I just want to eat you."

Kid stopped walking and leaned away from her, a look of horror plastered on his face.

"You want to… eat me?"

"I hear a reaper's blood is incomparable to the sweetest honey or liveliest spice," Ame said. "Besides, I thought it better to tell you now than the day we get married when I run at you with a knife and fork."

"What makes you think we're getting married?" Kid demanded, mortified and disturbed.

"Marriage is a sign that two humans want to be together forever, right?" Ame asked innocently. Kid tensed.

"Uh, yes… I suppose…."

"And…" Ame looked down sweetly before looking up at him with deep eyes. "You do want to be with me forever, don't you?"

Kid was sweating. It was obvious that Ame didn't know how humans worked. Maybe since she was so mature, she assumed some kind of adulthood as a wolf. What could he say? He didn't want to offend her or any of the other girls there, and he definitely didn't want to seem uncool to the guys. To his luck, Liz and Patti stepped in regarding her odd death threat.

"I don't care how hungry you get," Liz seethed, putting her hand protectively between Ame and Kid. "If you dare lay a hand on our meister—"

"Cut off a wolf's head and it still has the power to bite," Ame warned fairly, giving them space.

"Please don't," Kid requested.

"Maybe now is the best time to feed her," Tsubaki suggested.

Soul Eater

They stopped by a small café for a break. Even though it was late September, it was still burning hot outside.

"Do you like smoothies, Ame?" Tsubaki asked.

"I don't really know," Ame admitted. "I haven't had a lot of human food before. But I'd like to try."

"Go ahead," Kid encouraged her. "I'm buying, so you can get whatever you like."

Ame liked the sound of that. She turned to the menu, and Kid couldn't help but glance at her tail for a moment. Why wasn't anyone staring at it? Ame reached out tentatively and tugged Kid's sleeve, her ears rippling several times as she stared into his eyes.

"I… um…."

"Please, it's the least I can do for all you've done for me," Kid insisted.

Ame's eyes widened. It was as if the shyness that separated her from the rest of them shattered into a million pieces. She grinned widely and pointed to an item on the menu.

"Then I'd like to try those, please!"

"How do you like the human world so far?" Tsubaki asked the others as they sat down at a table outside to wait on their food. Ame gave her an optimistic smile to signal she was having fun.

"Well, I never thought I'd see you here," a woman's voice said. The eight of them looked up to see Blair, the cat waitress and Maka and Soul's housemate, standing in front of their table with a tray in hand. At first, they thought she was speaking to Maka or Soul, but she was staring intently at Ame. Ame returned her gaze for a while before reaching forward and petting Blair on the head. Blair seemed pretty happy about that, too.

"Atta girl," Ame praised.

"What the…?" Soul thought. "She's different than usual!"

"It's been a while since I've seen a Goddess of Life in these parts," Blair purred, opening her sharp, feline eyes. Ame's tail rippled and she glanced at the others, as if she'd said something she didn't want the others to hear.

"What does she mean by the goddess of life?!"

"I… uh… I'm kind of a god?"

"WHAAAAA?!"

"I've never heard of anything like that before," Maka admitted. "That explains the black streaks on your soul."

"Well, for starters, I'm an Inochigami. The term 'goddess of life' is rather weak for referring to my kind," Ame began. The others leaned in to hear her story, all intently focused on every gesture of her hand and motion of her tail. "We are professionally called 'Inochigami.' 'Inochi' being the Japanese term for life and 'gami' referring to being godlike or related to paper."

"Gods are related to paper?" Blackstar interrupted.

"You idiot," Kid muttered. He should know; he's a Shinigami for crying out loud.

"Yes," Ame's reply surprised them. "Did you know that Black Blood is just Ink I use to control the very fabric of existence?"

"Black blood?" Soul asked.

"Yes," Ame began stroking her tail again. "You see, if you cut me, my blood is red. However, there's a supply of black ink in my blood containing supernatural properties. The world is my paper, fresh for the painting. Anyway, we're also referred to as 'Okami,' considering we're descended from Japanese wolves. Another reason we're called that is that there are two ways in Japanese Kanji to write 'Okami;' one means 'wolf' and the other means 'great god' or in context, 'goddess.'"

"Why haven't I heard of you before?" Kid asked hesitantly. He knew his father kept secrets, but this was over the line.

"Ever wonder why humans can't see my ears and tail?" Ame asked them suddenly. There was silence; did she mean to change the subject? "We call them NPCs because only divine beings like gods and stuff can see them. And in my other form, they just see me as a normal white wolf. But you don't need to worry.I am the embodiment of innocence. If anything is out of line, I'm incapable of doing so."

"What do you mean?" Maka asked, tilting her head.

"I am the opposite of Kid, in a way; I cannot sin."

"In example," Kid interjected cautiously. "If I like symmetry and order, then you're a total… slob?"

"This has nothing to do with symmetry, you silly human," Ame said. She was playing with them now. "If you're order, then there's only one other main factor here. Come on, Kid, it's simple, now, isn't it? What did that pathetic Asura have to offer the world for peace? What can I accept as an animal?"

Kid and the others stiffened in shock. "Madness," they all said in unison.


	7. Chapter 7

Kid and the others stiffened in shock.

"Madness," they all said in unison.

Wait, where'd Blair go?

_**My thoughts I release in a rasping voice**_

_**Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart.**_

_**Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,**_

_**Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!**_

"I thought you said you couldn't sin," Maka hissed quietly.

"You disgust me," Kid echoed.

"Don't deny me," Ame snapped. "You yourself were created from a shard of Madness. Well? Your father told you that much, at least."

"I… I suppose, but…."

"But my opinion doesn't matter, does it?" Ame asked him. "I'm not the god of Death, known to everyone for making world-saving decisions. So what if I'm the one who makes the sun rise? Most humans now see it as a challenge anyway. What if all that was to go away? So tell me this—if I use my Madness for unfathomable good, such as healing you, then is it alright or not?"

Kid considered it for a moment. "My own father let you go with this power in mind. I have no choice but to trust his judgment. It's unexpected, but he's actually quite fond of you." The smile returned to his face and everyone relaxed a bit, including Ame. She was surprised he accepted her so… easily.

Maybe he did like her.

Inochigami's Weapons; Divine Power and Ink Made of Black Blood?

"You into music?" Soul asked as he caught Ame humming under her breath.

"Yeah, sure. I mostly like Aki AkAH!" she squealed the last bit as she slipped on a stray paper and her legs went flying out from underneath her. Her entire body made an odd curve until she collapsed flat on the ground.

"Oh, Ame!"

"Are you alright?" Kid asked. Ame sat up, her head spinning. She shook her head and gave Kid a thumbs-up.

"Yeah, don't worry. It hit in the middle, so it didn't mess up the symmetry of my perfectly damaged head!"

"You need a doctor, don't you?" Kid asked, leaning away when she almost head-bashed him swaying her head around clumsily. She made a small gasp as Kid put his hands under her arms and pulled her too her feet.

"That was kind of careless," he said, straightening her hair. "You should be more careful."

Ame felt heat rush to her face and gritted her teeth. It was one thing to accept her, but this was something else. She smacked his hand away from her head with a displeased frown.

"I'd appreciate it if you didn't treat me like a child," she retorted.

"I apologize," Kid digressed. Patti began laughing hysterically.

"Anyway, there is something I should tell you. Excalibur's forty ninth provision applies to me as well," Ame recited as they continued down the streets. "Never interrupt me while I'm humming to myself. This is a very important provision and should be followed carefully."

"You actually waste memory on Excalibur's thousand provisions?" Soul asked. Ame nodded.

"I'd better; Inochigami help him make them," Ame replied. The others were shocked to hear this.

"How could you do that?!"

"Excalibur isn't that bad," Ame defended him. She sure could accept anyone, couldn't she? "He and I are actually quite close, but he's terrible at keeping secrets, and he's the only one who knows about our parents. So we composed a list of painful provisions that no one could complete and our problem was solved. If you pay attention, you'll see that eight provision change every year."

"Is there anything else you think you should tell us?" Kid asked.

"Before we get married?" Ame specified.

"We are not getting married!" Kid snapped. "How could I ever marry you? I can't stay with someone so a-symmetrically repulsive! Perhaps if you put colored contacts on your eyes to make them both perfectly colored with each other, then I could look you in the eyes."

"You jerk!" Ame snapped, pointing an accusing finger at him. "I can already tell by your eyes that you're a problem child."

"You shouldn't judge people by their eyes!"

"Exactly, moron!" She leaped a good few feet in the air before spinning and kicking him in the head. Kid spit up blood as he collapsed to the ground, gripping the back of his head in pain.

"You little!" he cursed. "I am your upper classman."

"Such a shame," Ame muttered, crouching next to him and tapping his head. "That a daikaiju like yourself be taken down with a single hit like that."

"Shut up!" he finally snapped, kicking her away from him and getting to his feet, still rubbing his head. Ame twitched from where she was lying a few feet away.

"Sir, that hurt," she whimpered.

"Quit complaining! I'm hurting too."

"I've never seen Kid get pissed off so easily," Liz admitted as the others merely watched their dispute.

"Well, they are totally opposite from each other," Maka said. "You know what they say about opposites attracting each other."

Soul Eater

"You're name means 'rain,' doesn't it?" Tsubaki asked as they continued walking around the city. It was getting late; they'd already shown her all the good spots in town and Blackstar owned at a game of basketball already.

"Yes, the word 'ame' means 'rain,' however, my full name, Amaterasu, means 'god of the sun.'"

"So you're sun and rain?" Liz asked. Ame nodded, putting a hand behind her ear.

"Contradictory? Creative? Take your pick," she laughed with them.

"I didn't expect the child of life to have such a creative name," Liz remarked. "I mean, with Kid's name, I thought it would be more parallel."

Ame laughed. "Inochigami are more creative than Shinigami. It goes without saying that our names are more creative than 'Death the Kid'."

"Got a problem with that?" Kid asked.

"But, the second incarnation of life was dubbed Shiranui by the human people. This is because she looked like a normal wolf in their eyes."

"Why didn't she just transform into a human?" Kid asked.

"In truth, we couldn't transform before the fourth incarnation. The third incarnation, the first Amaterasu for which I was named, mated with a human. He was actually a prophet of the moon tribe. That is how we are able to transform into humans and foresee hindrances."

"By 'foresee' you mean… see the future?"

"Yes. That's how I knew you would be upset if you saw the lines in my hair and hid them."

"You've got to be kidding me!" Kid spat. "With all this power you're talking about, you have to be more powerful than me. We aren't very equal opposites."

Ame glanced at him, sensing that he was losing his temper again. She danced to her feet and stood behind him, lacing her fingers through the white stripes on the side of his hair.

"You'll grow into your power," she teased, pulling at his hair rather roughly. Kid spazzed, swatting her hands away and standing up. "I only know all this because my mother forced me to study all those boring lessons in that book."

"Book?" Maka asked.

"Yeah, this one," Ame pulled a black-spined white book with a red circle on the front out of her bag.

Kid suddenly jumped in between them, blocking the book from anyone's view, and grabbed Ame's wrist. He gave her a meaningful, yet pleading look.

"You put that away right now," he growled. Ame was startled—frightened. She slowly put the book back in her bag and pulled away from him slowly.

"As an innocent god and all, do you ever fight?" Blackstar didn't seem to sense the tense change in atmosphere.

"Yes," Ame replied.

"Do you have weapons?" Soul questioned.

"Divine Instruments is what we call them, so as not to confuse them with death weapons," Ame held her hands out and a large stone-grey shield materialized in her grasp. "For example, this is the only weapon I have. Divine Retribution, reflector, and humans can't usually see or touch it. But, I can hit almost anything with it as I please."

To demonstrate her point, she gave the shield a powerful swing and it collided with Blackstar's chest. He fell back, unconscious. Kid cringed.

Ame looked to the horizon to see the sun setting. Kid followed her gaze.

"Kind of beautiful, don't you think?" he asked.

"Not at all," Ame scoffed, tossing her hair out of her eyes. Kid turned to her with a confused expression. She grinned and leaned down slightly. "This world is rotten, as you said. And only I can fix that."

With a flip, she suddenly transformed into a wolf with red markings. She threw herself forward and began running along the streets of the city. In her wake, flowers and trees bloomed to unnatural brilliance; animals seemed to get excited as she passed them. She made a full arc around the city, which livened up like they'd never ever imagined before.

She paused at the very top of a cliff behind the city and let out a loud, long, heart-felt howl. The sound was beautiful! Behind her, a large cherry blossom tree sprouted and grew out of nothing. The sun changed behind her; it was no longer an ugly face, but a simple orange disk with divine rays swirling around it.

The scene was breathtaking. This is the glory of the goddess of Life, Inochigami Amaterasu.

And she was back.


	8. Chapter 8

Maka was up extremely late for several nights after that, learning all she could about the Inochigami. She was so overzealous to learn new things that she almost forgot to sleep.

"I get it now," she said as she paced back and forth in her room. Blair was in her cat form, watching Maka passively from her perch on the bed. "Ame releases any kind of Madness she wants. She usually releases a playful wavelength, which is what makes us all so carefree. And since the Black Blood is a generator of Madness, Soul and I are probably the most effected by it."

She stopped pacing immediately and looked out at the laughing crescent moon overhead. "She even told me of a time when the moon was full. I wonder why they don't do that… anymore…."

Now that she thought of it, why didn't anyone know about Inochigami? Not even Kid knew anything of it. Something felt kind of… suspicious.

**Kasureta koe de tobashita omoi mo**

**Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

**Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

**Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!**

Kid was standing in front of his father in the Death Room. His expression was unreadable.

"Are you serious?" Kid asked. "You really want me to do this? You want me to travel to the edges of the Earth to pick apples?"

"Yes."

"Don't you think a NOT student can handle this?" Kid demanded.

"Oh, no, Kid; these are very special apples and should be handled with care. You're the only one I trust with this task."

"What are you even talking about anymore?" Kid asked.

They Meet Again; The Goddess Driven by Fear?

"It smells so good here!" Patti exclaimed. The seven of them were on another mission, walking through an orchard of apple trees. It was late fall, so it was time for harvesting the rest of the rich fruit.

"And it's not insanely hot!" Liz agreed.

"I'm glad you two aren't complaining," Kid tried to be optimistic. Why was he here? Why was everyone there?

Tsubaki sighed as she looked upward. "It does smell good, doesn't it? I always liked the way fresh fruit would accent the scent of burning wood in the fall."

"Why so down, Kid?" Soul asked, putting an arm around his friend's shoulders. "This is practically an off day for us."

"I guess," Kid mumbled. "Anyway, Dad wants us to pick these apples and bring them back to the academy in time for the banquet on Halloween, so we should get to work."

Kid set a basket down at the base of the tree. Now that he looked at it, the trees did look weird. Maybe this was a test for a new training course? Whatever. Kid grabbed the basket and stood up to see something hanging right in front of him. Kid observed Ame for a moment, taking in her precarious position. She was hanging by her knees from one of the lower limbs of the tall apple trees; her tail wrapped around the branch to ensure her security. Her arms were folded behind her bent knees, keeping her red skirt in place. She stared at Kid.

"There," she said. "Now I can look you directly in the eye."

"Hi, Ame," Kid greeted. It made sense now. "I didn't expect to see you here."

"This was actually my idea," Ame replied simply. Liz put her palm against her face. They were both being too shy. Liz was apparently the only one here that knew Lord Death set them up here so Kid could see Ame again. "I wanted to see you again, so I gave your father a good reason to send you here."

"This isn't a good reason."

"Hey Ame!" Liz called. "Why don't you give us a hand? We're harvesting the apples for a banquet at the academy. If you help, we'll let you come to the party!"

"Yay!" Ame cheered, flipping down and landing on her feet.

Kid notice once more that Ame was at least a foot shorter than him. That must have been what she was talking about when she said she couldn't look him in the eye. How was she going to help them pick apples now? The branches were awfully high.

They split into four teams; Soul and Blackstar, Maka and Tsubaki, Liz and Patti, and… Ame and Kid.

Kid reached for the lowest branch and pulled it down some, bending the wood and plucking off as many apples as he could reach. If he did this in an orderly fashion, then he would have no problem clearing the trees. Ame began picking at one apple at the tip of the branch that Kid missed. She tugged and twisted, but she couldn't get it off. Before she knew it, Kid had let go of the branch and she was shot into the air with a scream.

"I've never seen such healthy apples before," Kid observed. "Did you grow these trees yourself, Ame? Ame, where'd you go?"

"You totally launched her, Kid," Soul pointed upward. Kid looked up to see Ame sitting at the top of the tree. She looked kind of picturesque sitting there on a bed of leaves.

"Hey, that looks like a good idea," Patti thought. "It would definitely get us up there faster than if we climbed. Hey, Kid, how'd ya do that?"

"You are not trying it!" Kid stated. He was proven too late to speak when he saw Tsubaki weeping over Blackstar's corpse.* Apparently someone already tried it. "My point is proven. Ame, you should come down. It's dangerous up there."

"I can pick these while I'm up here," Ame volunteered.

"No, we have to do it in order. Bottom to top, not top to bottom to top again."

"Well, if we attack the mass from the top and the bottom, then turn the tree sideways, wouldn't it be symmetrical like that?"

"What are you… yes, I suppose, but…."

Ame wasn't listening to him. She was plucking apples off the top with alarming speed and throwing them over the side in a nice line. Kid dove to catch the apples in the basket before they hit the ground. After a while, Ame slid down into the inside of the tree and began picking. She slipped on the branch and almost plummeted to her doom when someone caught her.

"Kid?"

"Onto the next tree," Kid stated, setting her down and trying to act as if the others hadn't seen that. "I don't think I can reach these, but if you hold still, I'll give you a leg up."

"So, you'd be carrying her?" Patti asked with a cute smile. Kid twitched in obvious annoyance.

"I said I would give her a _leg up_, that's all," he insisted. He turned around to see Ame wasn't there anymore. He ventured around the other side of the tree to see if she was there when the earth trembled so violently beneath his feet that he fell down. Ame had only stepped back a few feet to get a head start, then when Kid rounded to the other side of the tree, she charged and head-bashed the tree, knocking down all the apples successfully.

Kid sweat-dropped and glared at her. Ame smiled nervously at him as he got to his feet and approached her. He knelt in front of her with a very serious face.

"All the apples are dirty now," he said simply. He was staring into her eyes, making sure that she was paying attention.

"Well…" Ame racked her brain for an excuse. Why was he so close? She'd never seen him like this. "It's the three second rule. You know, the three second rule? You got like five seconds before the germs start hopping on!"

"You hit your head too hard," Kid sighed, knocking on her skull with his knuckles. Ame was fascinated to hear a hollow knocking sound when he did that. She shook her head and got to her feet to help Kid gather all the apples again.

Soul Eater

Since they were in the lead, Ame and Kid took a break for lunch, sitting at the base of one of the trees. Ame was just eating off of a pile of apples for her meal.

"Is that really your meal?" Ame asked, staring at Kid's pathetic sack lunch of a sandwich and an apple.

"Is there something wrong with it?" Kid asked.

"Where's the meat?" she asked. "And why aren't you eating the core of that apple? You ungrateful brat; it's fine once you get past the taste."

To demonstrate her point, she swallowed the entire core with a gulp. Kid sighed.

"I never thought wolves would eat anything besides meat," Kid admitted. Ame laughed.

"Of course. We eat anything edible to survive. However, just like anyone else, we do have our preferences."

"What do you prefer?"

"I guess I like sweet things, but if I eat too much, I get sick. Besides, they aren't that filling, nor very pleasing for long."

"I see," Kid said. "I thought you'd like spicy things; it's the bears that crave the sweet things, right?"

"We do not like spicy things," Ame muttered tensely. "Once, my brothers and I raided a human ship. We found a foreign plant in the shape of a red fang. When we ate it, it burned our insides. We dunked our heads in the lake and devised, once again, that humans were indeed quite frightening."

Ame trailed off somewhat abruptly. Kid turned to look at her. Her bangs hid her face, and her tail was clenched around her legs. Finally, she spoke.

"Did I ever tell you that I once lived with humans?" she asked.

"Ame…."

"I lived in a small apartment with my mom and my two brothers. She took us to Tokyo, where she knew it was too big of a city for anyone to really care about a single mother raising three kids. It was as hard as she expected.

"Feeding us was difficult; we were around the age that we would start hunting, and there weren't any places that we could transform without people seeing us. Mother fed us with rice and fruit for a time. The lack of meat made us all hungry; I would search day and night for food. Once, I even went after the neighbor's dog. He didn't like that much.

"I keep feeling like mom didn't think this through. The hatred felt by all the humans—the pain, the fear, the malice—it was all drawn to me. It was too much for an infant to bear, let alone a wolf. I cried every night. I couldn't help it. The neighbors would get angry and complain. They'd yell at us, telling us to go away. Mother would take us out to the park or the forest in the middle of the night, as far away from the humans as possible, and try to calm me, but it was no use. I still remember, she simply said over and over 'It's alright, it's alright.'

"The last thing that happened before we left was… unexpected. Someone came to our house late at night, demanding to be let in. She was dressed sharply, with glasses and a briefcase. She wanted to take me and my brothers away from mom.

"'I've heard that your children have not had a single exam by a doctor or any vaccinations,' she snapped. She went on and on about how we weren't living in a stable environment and how Mother wasn't raising us right. Mom was scared; she couldn't handle the cold, arrogant, hateful woman.

"'Please, just go away,' she begged, slamming and locking the door.

"We left then. The human world is no place for wolves, not even a wolf god.

"That is why I fear humans," Ame finished. "Dogs are different than wolves because over the years, they have learned to trust and grow close to humans. Wolves know nothing of the sort; that's why we attack them. But I learned one thing throughout that whole ordeal that's helped me grow into a good Inochigami. Someone was there to protect me then, and now I know how to protect others."

Kid's face relaxed into a kind smile. She was so careful with him when he was hurt; she really was a good goddess. However, she didn't know how to protect herself. He vowed he would always be there when she needed someone, no matter the time. He wasn't sure about telling her that yet though.

"Winter's almost here, huh?" Kid looked up at the sky. "Time is money, so we should get back to work soon."

Ame tilted her head as they continued walking. "I've never heard that one before."

"Well, if you're punctual, you can gain more profit out of your actions is all," Kid explained. "I'm sure farmers can tell you more about it, if you desire to know."

"Silly boy," Ame laughed. "It's not that they are punctual; it's that they are good at sensing things, much like the wolf. They get up when they sense morning and sleep when they sense night. They do not care about time and neither do I. We both, however, care about food."

"So I've noticed," Kid said. Ame's lips popped as she dropped the apple she was eating. "I don't know what you do all day to work off all that body fat. All your activities revolve around the finding of food."

"WHAT BODY FAT?!" Ame demanded, jumping on him and gouging her elbow into his back. He struggled underneath her; she was stronger—and heavier—than she looked. A dark cloud of Madness began to surround them. "Take it back!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Kid said frantically. Ame released him and the cloud went away. Kid got to his feet and brushed the dust off his shirt. Ame was pouting by a faraway tree. "Oh, come on, Ame. Don't do that. Will you come back please?"

Ame's lip stuck out further stubbornly. "No."

"We don't have time for this!"

"Who cares?! You're not being paid!"

"Ame."

"They're fighting about _something_," Liz noted as she and the other five stopped for lunch.

"They fight kind of like Maka and Soul," Tsubaki agreed. "It's kind of uncanny. It kind of reminds me of when young couples fight."

Liz laughed. "I've never really seen Kid exactly like this; he's just kind of different around her. I don't know, it seems like he's happier or something."

"Sis?" Patti asked. "Do you think Ame will get to stay with us forever?"

"Yeah, maybe," Liz nodded and watched Ame as she tackled Kid and pinned him to the ground, making odd 'kyan-kyan' sounds.

***I have a bad habit of benching Blackstar… he's annoying….**

**This is an old chapter… like I wrote this in May when I wrote the first draft of the entire story. I'm not quite sure about the plot, but this had some key factors in it that were relevant to Kid and Ame's relationship. I'm not even sure when this took place, because some of the non-chaotic 'Kira' chapters aren't always in chronological order. Anyway, read on and I will update… only if you want me to :3**


	9. Chapter 9

"Our time in this world is limited," Ame said, staring up at the dark sky from where she was sitting on the roof of the cave that served as her home. The stars twinkled and the moon was full, grinning down at them. Nagi and Rin were lying down in the cave beneath her, and Ikiru, the majestic Inochigami that once was, was lying next to Ame.

"Yes," Ikiru agreed. "The humans can't accept our madness. Soon we'll all die out. Have you told him yet?"

"No," Ame murmured.

"You're worse than Lord Death," Ikiru laughed. "He would always distract me when I wanted to know something to. Just remember that I'm always here to listen if you need me."

_**My thoughts I release in a rasping voice**_

_**Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart.**_

_**Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,**_

_**Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!**_

Liz, Patti, and Kid were all walking home from school. They decided to pick a few things up from the store before heading home since Liz and Patti tried to cook the night before. They had almost nothing left to eat. After a few arguments, they all decided to get their own microwave dinners.

Kid was reading the back of one of the boxes when something caught his eye. Being the richest boy in Death City, at least, he didn't really pay attention to sales tags, but this one was different.

"Pickled plum rice balls half off," he read out loud to himself. "I wonder if Ame would like that."

?

The three of them continued home after making their purchases. Their usual path now ran right by the new cherry blossom tree that Ame had bloomed earlier. Kid looked at the cherry blossom cloud; it still looked very healthy for the time of year. His eyes travelled down the trunk and paused at the roots. He saw a familiar figure nestled between two roots, sleeping.

"That's careless," Kid muttered, kneeling down next to Ame. "Sleeping out in the open like that. Hey, Ame, wake up. You shouldn't sleep here."

She opened her eyes gently and smiled when she saw him.

"Kid-Sem-Pai!" she sang, tackling Kid with a hug.

"Get off!" he snapped as his nose began bleeding slightly. "And will you quit calling me sempai?! We're the exact same age! What were you doing out here anyway?"

"I decided to watch over the city for a while," she replied. "You know, a god's got to do what a god's got to do. I guess I fell asleep." She yawned and stretched, but her attention was brought to the plastic bag in Kid's hands. "What are those?"

"Oh, I um…" Kid rummaged around in the bag until he found two small trays of rice balls. He offered them to her. "I bought these for you. I heard from my father that you're like a pagan god and you like offerings."

"Aw, thank you!" Ame chirped, taking one of the trays from him. "Come on, sit down and relax for a bit."

"But what about the game Soul and the others are playing without us?" Patti demanded.

"You two go without me," Kid said, smiling. "I think I'll stay here with Ame a bit."

"Why, Kid…" Liz gasped in mock horror. "You aren't gaining an… attraction to Ame? I can't believe it! You're actually attracted to other girls!"

"Liz!" Kid complained, his nose bleeding worse than before.

"Alright, you two have fun," Liz gave them a wave. "But not too much fun, you know."

"I'll kill her later," Kid thought, mortified. How could she say something like that in front of Ame? Ame was already insane! He digressed and moved to sit next to Ame. He brought his own tray of rice balls out of the shopping bag and unwrapped them.

"Thanks for the food!" Ame sang, folding her hands in front of her respectfully before digging in. "These are good; but do you think you could bring some with fish next time?"

"Hey, wait a minute," Kid paused. "I'm not your rice ball delivery service. Don't expect all this food from me."

"You lack experience, you know," Ame told Kid as he returned from buying her the fish rice balls she'd demanded of him. He was reluctant at first, but then she threatened him. "However, that just means you will be well-established when you're older."

"How many centuries until I'm as experienced as you?" Kid asked sarcastically. Ame laughed.

"You have sharp wits," she said. "But you know, I'm different than other Inochigami. I have memories that aren't mine. I see things that I shouldn't see."

"What do you mean?" Kid shifted his position and his tone grew serious. Ame sighed.

"I hate my left eye," she said, putting her hand up to touch her green eye. "I wish I could cover it, but that would only upset you. It allows me to see death, those close to death, and how to prevent it. Some death can't be stopped, but sometimes I do something that isn't allowed to save someone who deserves to live."

She turned to look at Kid. "Why didn't you let me show Maka that book?"

Kid swallowed. "That book is forbidden to everyone; only my father has seen its content. He wouldn't hesitate to put anyone to death for even seeing it, even me. I asked him about it the other day… I was actually kind of scared to. He said that now that I knew you, it was okay to learn everything about the gods. But he's kept everything from me all my life. I just freaked out when I saw it. I'm sorry."

"Well, then, it's time for you to start learning," Ame said, pulling the book out of her bag. "Inside this book is the history of Inochigami and Shinigami. Check it out sometime; I already read all of it."

"Thanks," Kid smiled at her slightly. "But I think I got it all down. Ask me anything."

"Okay, here's a test for you. Do you know why we, wolves, attack humans in the mountains?"

Kid eyed her sharp fangs as she spoke. "That's not what I…."

"We eat humans' heads off and try to gain their power."

Kid flinched. He was still slightly afraid of wolves since that Kishin took his sight. Ame laughed once.

"You are but a child," she snarled. "You are no match for me. Tell me, have you ever been attacked in the forest?"

"Yeah," Kid replied quietly. Did she not know this? She was there when that Kishin attacked him. "He… was very formidable."

"It is because he was a wolf," Ame leered. "And he had tasted human's blood. What of your blood, I wonder?"

"Will you stop it?!" Kid snapped. Ame gasped in shock; he'd never yelled at her before. She looked up at him; he was staring at the ground and trembling. "I'm sorry about what happened to you, but please just stop talking for a while."

"Oh," Ame whispered. "Yes, I forgot."

Soul Eater

They sat in silence for a while.

"Are you angry?" Ame whispered.

"Yes," Kid said. "Don't say anything like that ever again."

Ame nodded and lowered her head in shame. She never meant to upset him. A thought crossed Kid's mind and he turned on her.

"Have you ever attacked humans?!"

"I'm a goddess; no matter how afraid I am or the others around me are, I don't want to kill unjustly."

Kid exhaled. "You sound just like my father sometimes. If it weren't for that, I wouldn't have forgiven you so easily."

Ame looked up at him, and a coy grin appeared on her face. "And you sound like my mother."

Kid laughed. "You also fiddle with your hands when you want something. He does that a lot too."

"You try too hard to please everybody," Ame retorted kindly, thinking about her own mother. "So, tell me about being a shinigami," Ame said. "I understand the main idea, but I'm sure it's changed over the past eight centuries."

"Dad's actually been a bit more open with me ever since I met you," Kid spoke as they walked around the forest. "He recently told me the old-fashioned way Shinigami killed. We'd just write their names in a book, simple as that. That's how we were related to paper."

"I can just imagine how you'd do with that," Ame snickered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Ame put on her best imitation of him, making a motion with her hands as if she was writing in a notebook. "It's not neat enough! Why can't letters be symmetrical?!"

Kid laughed. "You're terrible. You're a being of innocence, but you're still terrible."

"It's who I am," Ame shrugged. She looked up at the cherry blossom trees. "Fate is a complicated thing. Sometimes I don't know what I want or who I am."

"I know what you mean," Kid agreed. "Sometimes I can't tell when to be a Grim Reaper and when to be a normal kid. And then my obsessive-compulsive disorder is strung all over the place. It's hard to control myself."

"I know!" Ame nodded. "Without the purpose of a life goddess, I don't know when to be a wolf and if I should ever be human. It's the same anywhere I go anyway; I still have the appetite of a wolf."

Kid chuckled. "Is that so? For being the embodiment of purity, you sure are gluttonous."

Ame sniffed and grinned at him. Kid hesitantly returned the smile.

"It's weird, I don't even talk to my own weapons like this," he sighed. "I mean… I guess they wouldn't understand. They have their own problems, but they don't know what it's like to have the fate of the world in their hands, you know?"

"Yeah," Ame agreed. "But we can share that fate now, can't we? Even if we live in different places, and Inochigami have been working undercover for the past eight hundred years, our parents couldn't hide us from each other forever. The fate of two worlds… in our hands."

"Agreed."

Ame was lying in the grass in front of her cave. Rin and Nagi were playing a few feet away from her, howling occasionally at the full moon. Ame folded her hands behind her head and stared at the stars; incomplete constellations, missing stars from where they had fallen when the deities had lent their helping hands to the war between the Spider Queen and the gods, filled the sky. If only Ame could complete them and gain the deities' powers. She doubted Kid knew even half of the world they used to rule together. Now, they were severed in half.

She thought of what she and Kid had discussed earlier about food. What did she crave? Who cared? Humans didn't. She reminisced about the argument they had as well. She sighed.

"We live in two worlds, and they are very different from each other," she said.


	10. Chapter 10

**Kasureta koe de tobashita omoi mo**

**Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

**Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

**Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!**

"Hey Mom, can I invite my friend over?" Ame asked.

Ikiru was lying down on the roof of the cave again, watching her cubs play. She looked at her youngest with golden eyes.

"Of course," she nodded. Her voice was strong, but calm and polite. Ame didn't know why, but she was suddenly reminded of Kid and his obsessively gentlemanly ways. "However," Ikiru continued. "If they do anything stupid, I'll have to gouge their eyes out and burn their insides."

"Yay!" Ame cheered, throwing her hands up in victory.

Ame's Home; Kishin Who Skip Through a Cherry Blossom Forest?

The next day, Ame met Kid by the side of the forest.

"You ready to go?" she asked him.

"Yeah."

"Come on," she said, guiding him through the brush and trees, deeper into the forest than he had ever gone before. "You must never come here without me. My mom thought today of all days was best to bring up the talk."

"The talk?" Kid asked. "Like, the 'honey, don't give into pressure' talk?"

"Yes," Ame winced. "I mean, seriously, Mom, I know I'm a kid, but I'm still a god. I won't do anything rash. Well, I do have tons of power, but I have to be careful. If I use it for silly or selfish reasons, or if someone pressures me into it, it could cause a paradox. I totally get that!"

"But the way they talk to you is so embarrassing," Kid sympathized. "I've never been able to talk about this, and I was actually going to keep it from you like everyone else, but I guess you have the same problem. And I know I'm a bit selfish, but thinking that their own children could do some of that horrible stuff just because they have power is sick."

"They just don't want us to end up like Asura," Ame said. Kid's pace slowed.

"Ame…? What you said earlier… about your eye…."

"Yes, I remember," Ame wasn't facing him. Her tone was stifled somehow, as if it wasn't really her talking. "And I'd appreciate it if you didn't bring it up to anyone else. Not even my mother."

"Okay."

"It was Asura," she began quietly. "He gouged my sister's eye out and put it in his forehead. With the abilities it gave him, he became a monster and killed her. I bet he's sorry though." She laughed lightly and turned to him with a bright smile on her child-like face. "Come on, let's eat!"

They stopped by a river to relax and eat lunch. Kid stared at the mountains and trees with a serene smile. This was a world untouched by humans.

"It's so peaceful here," he said. "I never thought a place like this could exist. You all just live at peace with each other. I know now why the world is in such imbalance and disarray. You're an Inochigami, whether you believe it or not, with divine judgment and you deserve to be in this world just like I do. Maybe… we could change this fate. Maybe there's still a chance for you. Don't you think?"

He turned to her to see her laying down, her eyes closed. "Hey, did you fall asleep?"

He didn't think his speech was that boring, but they both got a bit spacey sometimes. Her eyes were closed and her breath was heavy with sleep. Kid smiled; she was kind of endearing, no matter how a-symmetrical she was. Kid packed his lunch and got to his feet. He'd explore a bit, but he wouldn't go far. He found a small cave, no doubt where Ame and her brothers stayed. He turned around when he saw a large wolf perched on the roof of the cave. Kid jumped back in surprise.

"You're Lord Death's son, aren't you?" the wolf asked in her elegant, yet deep, wolfine voice. Her mouth moved only slightly when she spoke, like all the other animals. "I can tell by the stripes in your hair."

"I am Death the Kid," he nodded quietly. He didn't want to admit it, but he felt strong fear in her presence. "Are you Ikiru, the goddess of Life?"

"Oh, so you have heard of me?" she quizzed. "I know Lord Death keeps us a secret out here, per my wishes. I don't want the humans to bother us anymore. Tell me, what do you feel towards my daughter, Ame?"

"I… I guess I never thought about it," Kid admitted. Ikiru was different than Ame told him. His expression became wistful as he gazed at the girl sleeping by the river bank. "I dream about her every night."

"That's all you can say?!" Ikiru snarled. She laughed. "You're even worse than Asura. It's his fault that my first daughter died. My own flesh and blood, torn apart by that coward."

Kid suppressed a shudder as he snapped his gaze to her.

"Ikiru, why can't the humans and the forest live together in peace?" he asked.

"You think I'd give you a different answer than your father did?" Ikiru growled. "The humans don't need us anymore. I lie hear, listening to the pain of my brothers and sisters as they become Kishin or die. You and your comrades will hunt us down and the blades of your weapons will burn us alive."

"And what happens to Ame?" Kid pressed. "You're just going to let her die with the rest of you?"

"You think like a human," Ikiru snapped. "Typical. Selfish. Ame is my daughter. She is a true Inochigami. When the forest dies, so does she."

"You must set her free!" Kid shouted. "Ame can live with us. She doesn't have to endure this curse with you."

"Silence, boy!" Ikiru barked.

Isn't it ironic how the god of death is cheerful, but the goddess of life is scary as heck?

"How dare you speak to a god like that? What happens when those stripes in your hair connect?"

"I will surpass my father and he will die," Kid replied quietly.

"And has he accepted that fate? Ame isn't only the spirit of life, but she is also the embodiment of innocence, and a creature of love. The thing that you think makes her ugly—her eye—is unclouded by hate. When she transformed into a human, I knew she had been chosen to surpass me, but we have no purpose. Now my poor, ugly, beautiful daughter is something neither god nor mortal. Those humans are killing her, and yet she loves them all. If Ame becomes human, the hate will consume her and she will become a Kishin egg and die."

Kid tensed. "Humans aren't just hatred; I can protect her."

Ikiru laughed sadistically. "How? Are you going to keep her locked up in some cage? Or are you going to force her to stay in this graveyard of spirits after we all pass? Face it, Kid, you can't help her. None of you can. Love Ame, treasure her, because when she's gone, you will never be able to love again."

Soul Eater

Kid stared ahead at the river as Ame continued sleeping. The wolf awoke, sitting up, yawning, and rubbing her eyes. Kid glanced at her and smiled as if nothing was wrong.

"Good morning, sunshine," he greeted softly. Ame smiled back, but snapped to attention when she noticed his troubled expression.

"Is something wrong?" she asked. Kid didn't want to lie to her.

"Well. I… met your mother," he explained quietly.

"Oh," Ame winced. "Awkward."

Kid was glad to get as far from the den as possible. Ame didn't seem troubled anymore, either. She skipped beside him as they continued through a grove of cherry blossoms, swinging her arms back and forth childishly. It all felt very ancient-Japan to Kid. Ame started to hum, then she started to sing.

"All of the frogs, Go Kero-kero,

And won't even lose to the rain

When it gets cold, they hibernate,

It is the Mashiju-sama's Destiny!"

Kid began giggling under his breath. She was hard to take seriously sometimes with the silly songs she sang.

"All of the frogs, go jumping around

And they won't lose to the wind

Their little tails, go wiggling around,

It is the Tadpole's Destiny!"

Kid couldn't contain it anymore; he began laughing, which is what Ame wanted, of course. Kid realized how rude he was being laughing at someone when her feelings could be hurt.

"I'm sorry," Kid covered his mouth with his hands, composing himself, but still smiling. "I didn't mean to laugh."

"I don't think I've ever seen you smile like that," Ame noticed, squinting at him with a soft grin on her face. "I really like it; it gives me a homey feeling."

"What do you mean 'homey'?" Kid asked as they continued walking.

"There are many homes in the human world that I can't help but like," Ame sighed, letting her gaze reach up to the plushy clouds. Cherry blossoms rained around them. "There are homes with kids and homes with elders. There are big homes and little homes. They all have stories behind every stain and every repair. They have people going to jobs and school, and coming home after each day, and their home is always there for them." *****

Kid thought about it. She could be talking about houses, but he knew she was honestly talking about families. They paused on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a vast valley. Several animals, deer, boars, foxes, and small vermin, scampered, skittered, and sprinted across the green grass. There wasn't too much green like in most park reserves, and it wasn't too brown like commonly humanly-run communities. Kid was once again astounded by the perfect balance of this world.

"I think it's just my natural instinct to want to grow up," Ame continued, staring off the cliff and looking at the valley below. "I don't know where I belong. Without my purpose, should I stay here, or try to live in the normal world and make my own home?" She sighed quietly. It sounded like she liked that idea. "Every day would be a good day that I have a home. I'd come home in the evening just to simply say 'I'm home!'"

Kid waited a moment to admit what he was thinking.

"And I'd tell you, 'Welcome home.'"

Ame gasped and turned to look at him, her eyes wide and filled with tears she'd been trying to hide. Kid smiled.

"You could be at home with me, Ame," he said quietly. Ame's mouth opened, as if she wanted to say something, but she put her head down and began rubbing her eyes on her sleeve. Kid instantly felt bad for making her cry. He put a hand on her shoulder with a concerned look on his face. "Hey, are you okay? I didn't mean to upset you."

"I fear you don't yet know the purpose behind your words," she whispered. She looked up suddenly, sniffing the air and raising her ears attentively. Kid didn't react; she probably found another rat. He was surprised, however, when she tackled him, shoving him into a small nook between two trees.

"Hey, what the hell are you doing you animal?!" he demanded. "Get off!"

"Shh," Ame whispered, curling her tail around his waist. Kid eyed her position uncertainly; she was standing over him in a way that she covered his entire body with her own. She pressed her body closer to him, her scent covering his. Kid blushed at the closeness.

'Get off,' he thought. 'Get off, get off, get off, please get off.'

Ame was staring out the opening of their little hiding spot, aggression radiating off her raised hackles. After a moment of complete silence, Kid saw the shadowy figure of a large animal brush past, sniffing the air and the plants as if searching for something. Kid gasped and Ame put her hand over his mouth. After determining whatever it was looking for wasn't there, it moved on. Ame sat up, her nose twitching.

"That boar was looking for you," she said. She got to her feet hurriedly and pulled Kid out of the burrow. "You need to leave. Now."

"Ame?" Kid stumbled after her. "Why do all the animals want to eat me?"

"For the same reason I said, Kid," Ame's voice was dark. "They wish to gain your power."

** Gasp! They're after Kid! What do you think will happen? Who is looking for him anyway? We're nearing the conclusion of the first arc people, and it will change Ame and Kid's lives forever.**


	11. Chapter 11

"It's getting kind of dark," Liz noticed, looking up at the sky. It had been sunny a moment ago, but a collection of vast, dark clouds began swallowing the sun. Only a few rays were left, like beacons of hope, to shine through the darkening evening.

"I don't like the looks of that," Soul said uneasily. Maka nodded, searching the souls in the area for any sign of a threat.

A deep rumble echoed overhead and a sharp wind cut throughout the streets. Patti shivered at the sudden drop in temperature, wishing she had brought her jacket. She felt a very dark form of madness begin to overwhelm her.

"Sis," she whispered in fear. Liz, not having the slightest clue to what triggered her sister's strange behavior, wrapped and arm around her in an attempt to keep her warm. They were suddenly reminded of those cold nights on the streets.

"Hey, look," Blackstar pointed down the street, where two large white wolves were running towards them.

"It's Rin and Nagi!" Tsubaki cried. Nagi was carrying Ame, whilst Rin had a certain boy on his back.

"Kid!" Liz and Patti cried, sprinting to meet them. They helped Kid down off the wolf and supported him as he struggled to stand. He was limping badly.

"Girls, I'm fine," he insisted as they fussed over him.

"Ame?" Liz looked at the wolf girl desperately for an explanation.

"We were in a hurry and he slipped," Ame explained quickly. "Get him to the DWMA now. Someone's looking for him and I don't think they're very friendly. Nagi, Rin, and I will come to help you as soon as we can. The rest of you, go home."

"But Ame," Maka protested. She couldn't just go home when her friends were in danger.

"Do as I say!" Ame snapped. Her ears perked at the sound of another gale storm coming their way. Nagi raised his head, unused to carrying Ame and not being able to defend himself as he pleased.

"Do you feel that?" he rumbled.

"Yeah," Ame nodded. "And it doesn't sound good."

The Price of the Inochigami's Power; Is It Truly Worth It?

"I heard you ran into a Kishin," Lord Death told Kid absentmindedly. "I'm glad Ame was there; you could have gotten hurt again."

"Father, I want to ask you something really important," Kid ignored him. "Why can't the Inochigami live in the normal world like the Shinigami can?"

Lord Death was silent. For a moment, Kid thought he was trying to figure a way to tell him something. But alas, of course Lord Death was only going to distract him.

"Liz and Patti said you two are attracted to each other," he said, pointing a finger in no particular direction. "That's good. It's about time you start liking other girls, Kid."

"I do not like her," Kid snapped, stealing a glare at his two weapons. "I don't know where they'd get that idea."

"For starters, you're both gods."

Kid blinked. "So?"

"You may be human, not wolf, but you still have the divine judgment of a god that no one else does. I suppose you two have already found quite a few things you have in common. Centuries ago, Ikiru and I agreed that our children would actually be betrothed."

"I can't believe you agreed to something like that," Kid muttered. "It's the twenty-first century, Dad."

"It was a long time ago, Kiddo. Besides, you two look so cute together."

Kid still didn't look very happy about it. Lord Death sighed.

"You don't have to worry about the whole betrothed thing," he continued. "It was cancelled anyway."

Kid tried to keep his tone casual. "Uhm… what made you change your mind?"

Silence. It seemed Lord Death said more than he should have.

"I have to know," Kid insisted. "What happened eight hundred years ago? Does it have to do with Asura?"

More silence. Kid was getting nowhere with him. He turned sharply.

"Fine. Don't tell me; I don't have time for this."

"Wait, Kid," Lord Death cautioned. Kid turned his head. "Don't… don't call Ame a coward or anything if she runs away. You see, Inochigami have ultimate power over the very fabric of existence, but it comes with a price."

Kid was listening.

"Ame isn't immortal, Kid."

"What do you mean?!" Kid tried to hide his horror.

"Inochigami can live as long as their Shinigami counterpart does, unless they suffer from a fatal wound. They're still pretty strong and can tough quite a few things out, but 800 years ago, someone found a loophole. But that's all you can know from me; you and Ame must find out the truth for yourselves."

Soul Eater

"Kid! Liz! Patti!" Ame shouted at the trio. She, Nagi, and Rin had been waiting for them. The two groups were going on a mission together to find the source of the darkness that had accumulated over several areas in the world. Their search had led them to ruins of and Irish temple. Ame waved at them exuberantly. "We've been waiting for you!"

"You could have gone ahead," Kid said, jumping off his skateboard. "You didn't have to wait so long. I wouldn't have; we wouldn't have made a lot of progress otherwise."

Ame deadpanned before tackling him to the ground and smacking his chest with her tiny palms. The force behind the attack was so weak that Kid suppressed laughter. Liz and Patti transformed, standing beside Nagi and Rin and watching the scene with grins on their faces.

"THAT'S MEAN!" Ame shouted, but it was more like a whisper. Kid grinned good-naturedly at her.

"I was only joking," he explained. "Of course I would wait for you."

Ame froze in her slapping, making a soft chattering sound at the back of her throat.

"Awww!" Liz squeaked. She'd always been a sucker for romance.

"So cute!" Patti squealed.

"Now," Kid said assertively. "Get. Off. Me."

Nagi and Rin waited outside the small village they were investigating. Liz and Patti dispersed in one direction, whilst Kid and Ame went the other way. Kid was alone. With her. Again. He asked around a bit, and Ame went around petting stray animals. Kid made sure not to let her touch him after that.

"Can the animals understand you?" he asked her. "Are you getting information?"

"A little, yes," Ame admitted. "But most of them are scared. This madness is dark and enough to make even wolves cringe. Ah—look over there!"

She pointed eagerly at a small stall where am old woman was selling baked bread. Kid relaxed, more than annoyed at her for freaking out about nothing again. Ame's tail was wagging and her hands were balled into fists in front of her chest. Kid even saw a thin trail of water curving down the side of her lip.

"That smells wonderful!" she exclaimed. "Just imagine—thick, soft, and buttery. It's making me hungry!"

"You're drooling," Kid said bluntly in disgust. "Now could you focus on the mission, perhaps?"

Kid was about to move on when a small rumble sounded from Ame's stomach. He sweat-dropped.

"I guess it can't be helped," he sighed. He stepped up to the stall and ordered one SMALL loaf for Ame. He fingered through the small amount of Irish currency in his pocket and handed the elderly woman an appropriate amount.

"You two look adorable together," the woman purred in her soft, whispery voice. Kid smiled half-heartedly at her.

"Thank you, but we're not together," he explained as politely as he could.

"What a shame," the woman murmured, handing him the bread. Kid passed the food to Ame.

"Here," he said. "Eat quickly. We need to keep moving."

Ame began stuffing her face, digging her fangs greedily into the soft substance and hardly chewing before swallowing it whole. Kid could hear every bite roll down her fleshy throat; the sound wasn't actually as bad as he'd expected.

"Honestly, you disgust me," Kid muttered. Ame looked up at him, butter dripping from her lips. "How can you eat so much? I mean, I know humans with your appetite and physic wouldn't get far."

"Well, wolves are not like humans in that sense," Ame said, licking her fingers. "At least I'm not like that, as a goddess. You humans upgrade your health and endurance by straining your bodies. I gain health and endurance by indulging myself."

"I'm supposed to say you're lucky now, aren't I?" Kid asked.

"If that is what you wish," Ame said. "But Inochigami deserve more considering how much more we do. We bring life to the world, for goodness sake."

"Do you have any idea how hard it is for Shinigami?" Kid demanded, immediately offended by her statement. "Do you know how hard it is to find evildoers and bring them to justice? We have to find them, provide evidence of their crimes, and give them a trial. It's all very taxing, so don't go around underestimating us."

"You know Inochigami have to keep the land and our people alive," Ame snapped, swishing her tail angrily. Liz and Patti met up with them then. They caught up on the argument almost immediately.

"Looks like they're having a common sexist fight with their own personal twist," Liz said. Patti giggled as Ame continued speaking.

"It's hard to keep fields ripe in harvest and the people out of trouble."

"That would explain your faulty work," Kid grumbled. Liz grinned; the four others were loving this. "Half the fields are destroyed by your animals and crushed by the weather."

"That's not entirely my fault," Ame defended herself. "I have to let the land rest every once and a while. Besides; who are you to talk about farming? You hardly do any work."

"Did I not just explain to you the duties of a Shinigami?" Kid closed his eyes. He was getting a headache.

"Yeah, but you have two weapons to do most of it for you," Ame sighed, stroking her tail.

"Hey, like you're the one to talk!" Kid pointed an accusing finger at her. "Your brothers carry you around everywhere. Didn't you say you have another form of your own? Why can't you just use that?"

"My other form is hideous and it will frighten you," Ame replied harshly.

"And what a gloriously strong form it is," a mysterious voice murmured behind them. Ame turned around as the others looked up. On the edge of the city was a figure in a dark grey cloak, standing next to Nagi and Rin. Ame's nose twitched.

"What's this?" she thought. "Another wolf?"


	12. Chapter 12

"I've been awaiting your return, Benevolent Amaterasu," the figure continued. "I praise you for very presence; you shine light upon this darkening realm."

Ame's soul began glowing slightly, as if the praise was a material thing that she could absorb. Ame shook her head nervously. "You don't have to do that; I'm not really a god—just a wolf. I have no power to save anyone."

"Yes, you do. I can tell by the crimson markings on your fur. And that Divine Instrument on your back."

"What is she talking about?" Kid whispered.

"Don't think I can't hear you," the figure snapped. "I have the eyes of a wolf as well as the ears of a wolf."

"She can see my true form," Ame whispered. She raised her voice as she addressed the stranger. "Only divine entities can see my true form. What are you?"

The figure removed her hood. It was a girl with grey hair and frosty blue eyes. She had wolf ears and a blue-tipped tail. She didn't look particularly godlike like Ame; her face was contorted, more like a wolf's face. She could have been described as… horrific but beautiful.

"You're a werewolf?" Liz asked. Almost by instinct, the sisters transformed for Kid. Ame put a firm hand on his shoulder, gripping the bone so hard that it hurt. Kid glanced at Ame.

"Who are you?" Ame asked carefully.

"I am Lorraine," the wolf replied. "I'm not originally from here, but my lycanthropic… condition drove me away from my tribe. I didn't want to stay with them anyway, for they were against you, dearest Amaterasu."

"How do you know me?"

"It's in the prophecy of the ruined temple," Lorraine replied. "I've long awaited your return that you may purge the world of this madness defiled by evil."

"Madness… defiled," Kid thought, finally lowering his weapons. "I never thought of it like that."

"Where is it coming from?" Kid asked.

"I'm not talking to you, fool," Lorraine snapped. Kid was taken aback by this; no one had ever flat-out rejected him before.

"Rude," he muttered. "Go to the temple. You'll find what you're looking for there and there alone. All of it."

Irish Temple of Answers; Who's the Meat Shield?

"What did the werewolf mean by all that?" Liz asked Kid as he flew alongside the wolves towards the ruins.

"That's what I'd like to know," Kid said. "I bet it has something to do with what happened eight hundred years ago; I just have a feeling. Ame!"

The wolf girl looked at him from where she was sitting on the running wolf's back.

"Will you be able to fight without any weapons?"

"I guess I'll have to," Ame admitted. "You know, it's times like these that I wonder why my mom let all her power go like that."

"It's still in you," Kid said. "I sense it. Maybe if you tried, then—"

"No!" Ame barked. "I don't want to use my left eye to see what brushstrokes to use to destroy my enemy, Kid!"

"Here we are," Kid stated as they paused in front of the stone ruins. An ominous purple and black light was shining from the center, forming a pillar up to the sky. Liz shivered. Why did the atmosphere feel so familiar? Kid felt it as well; a distinct wavelength of a particular witch.

"Ame," one snarled quietly. "Do you sense that?"

"Yeah," Ame nodded.

"I feel it too," Kid said, getting off his skateboard. "Ame, since you're unarmed, I want you to stay behind me."

"What? No way," Ame disagreed stubbornly. "I'm your meat shield, remember?"

"I never agreed to that!"

Ame dismounted and signaled for the two wolves to go forward and search for danger. She and Kid, along with his weapons, proceeded through the ruins. The walls of the dungeon were crumbling, but it was still possible to make out what used to be paintings and carvings on the wall.

"What are these ruins of anyway?" Liz asked.

"It was a sacred temple," Kid stated. "But I'm not really sure what it was for. It was destroyed a long time ago, hit by a star."

"A star?" Liz clarified.

"Lesser deities wielding immense power," Ame began to explain. "They lived in the skies, contained in constellations. They ripped pieces of their bodies off and threw them down. Now the constellations are incomplete and the gods are as useful as I am."

"Hey, look at that!" Liz said. Kid stopped walking and looked up. The nearest wall was covered in images.

"It's Ame," Patti said. Sure enough, in the center of the wall, there was a painting of a woman with long white hair and red markings in a crimson kimono. Her eyes were closed and, if Kid hadn't known better, he would have thought she was symmetrical in every way. Kneeling beside the maiden, holding each of her hands, were two symmetrical beings, each containing an element. They were shamans.

"What is this?" Kid wondered, tilting his head and stepping closer to the wall. Another picture was of a familiar spider symbol. "Hey, I've seen that before."

"That looks like…" Ame thought. "These are the ruins where the legend of our parents was kept!"

"No way," Kid gasped.

"It looks like my mother wasn't the only one who decided the world couldn't handle madness," Ame continued, looking down the wall. There were strange runes and kanji subtitling the images.

"Can you read that?" Liz asked. "You said you spoke every language, so…."

"It's hard to piece together," Ame replied. "Half of it's gone, but… it says here that the Spider Queen used the divine powers to create something. That's what drove my mother away," Ame gasped with realization. "So it wasn't our fault. And this Spider Queen… she's the one that gouged out my sister's eye and used it to make the demon weapons."

"It's not a Kishin here," Kid said. "It's a witch."

Soul Eater

"Kid, I don't have a good feeling about this."

Ame's tail tucked in between her knees and her ears laid flat against her skull. Kid noticed her distress and shot her a calm glance.

"Whatever happens, I can protect you," he assured her. "I know you saw what happened when I got hurt, but I promise it won't happen again."

"I'm not worried about that now," Ame snapped. "If worse comes to worse, I can run; you can't. Please, just call your father and tell him to send some others."

Kid sighed. "Relax, unlike you, I'm immortal. I suppose I should give him an update about the mission, though. But don't get your fur in a bunch; you're underestimating me. Girls, will you keep them posted? I'll only be a minute."

"No problem!" Patti cheered as the twins transformed. Liz sighed. Kid was being kind of hypocritical; arguing with Ame for her being overprotective of him, but him being overprotective of her at the same time. While Kid was gone, Liz looked at Ame.

"You're kind of a mystery, you know that?" Liz said. Ame blinked and turned tilted her head like a curious cub. "I don't think I'd ever be able to control myself if I was supposed to be a god but wasn't because of someone else's stupid mistake."

"I'm not that strange, am I?" Ame asked innocently. Liz smiled at her.

"Why don't we try doing something normal when this is all over?" she continued. "You know, get to know each other better. God or not, you're still a kid. Cut back a bit. I like the clumsy Ame better."

"I think I'd like that," Ame smiled back. Kid returned, and he was happy to see they were getting along. They seemed to be chatting together as if nothing bad was going on, as if they were just school girls chatting by their lockers in between classes. He'd never seen Ame look so normal before, and, he was surprised to find, he liked it.

"Come on," he said as he returned. "We have to find the source of this madness. We have to find out what this witch is up to."

They found the witch in the center of the ruins with a circle of witch souls around her. She was reviving something.

"Come to me, Spider Queen," she said.

Ame froze in her tracks. She was reviving the Spider Queen?! She lunged out toward the demon witch, scattering her souls and interrupting her ritual.

"No!" she barked.

"Ame!" Kid yelled, running into the room after her. "What are you doing?!"

"The child of Madness?" the witch wondered. She laughed, throwing the wolf girl aside. Ame landed on all four feet in a wolfish recoil. "And the child of Death—how ironic, what an intervention indeed."

Kid raised his weapons threateningly. "What do you intend to do with all these souls?"

"You think I'd just reveal my plan to you just like that?" the witch cackled. "Of course, it wouldn't matter since there isn't anything the powerless Amaterasu can do to stop me."

Ame flinched.

"I'm going to revive who overthrew Ikiru in the first place, that she may too overthrow your father."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Kid demanded. "Ikiru wasn't overthrown. She gave up for the good of her people."

"A decisive defeat," the witch murmured. "Have you not the knowledge of what happened 800 years ago?"

Kid was silent. Ame raised herself onto two feet in attentiveness.

Kid gasped and almost dropped his weapons. "The Spider Queen… of course! Arachne!"

"Lady Arachne used Ikiru's daughter's left eye to create weapons of destruction that she may use to surpass the gods. Then your foolish father and old what's-his-face harnessed the rest of the Madness in the demon tools that he used to defeat her. Ikiru left the world in chaos, for she knew it was the only thing she could create."

"SHUT UP!" a voice boomed through the room as a certain ninja lunged toward her from the shadows. "IF ANYONE SURPASSES GOD, IT'S GOING TO BE ME!"

"Blackstar?" Kid gasped. "What are you doing here?"

"The same thing we all are," Maka replied, appearing right beside him. "Lord Death sent us; he thought you might need help."

"Glad to know he has faith in me," Kid muttered sarcastically.

"You try too hard, Kid; this is a freaking witch we're up against," Maka said in a reassuring tone. "Besides, we're here for Ame too. Lucky Eight, remember?"

Kid thought about the nickname Ame had unintentionally given the group. He smiled and nodded.

"Let's go," he said. Maka nodded and charged at the

"You ungrateful brats!" the witch snapped. "Arachne will return! She will become a goddess. And I shall become an angel."


	13. Chapter 13

"You ungrateful brats!" the witch snapped. "Arachne will return! She will become a goddess. And I shall become an angel."

A Battle of Gods and Demons; Will Ame Learn Her First Brush Technique?

The battle began, all three meisters doing their best to do damage to the witch. Nonetheless, this was still a witch they were up against, and she proved to be a hard enemy.

"You witch!" Blackstar shouted. "Your soul is mine!"

"Pathetic insect," the witch spat, shooting violet smoke at him.

"Ame!" Kid shouted. "Remember that 'other form' you were talking about? Wouldn't that be useful right now?"

Ame hesitated. Kid saw the inner battle conflicting inside her. She was just kneeling on the ground while her brothers circled her, protecting her from the witch's attacks. Kid knew what her problem was; it was the same problem he'd had. She was weak, and she was leaving everyone on their own. She couldn't fight.

"Liz?" Kid asked.

"What do you want me to do about it?" Liz asked.

"You know you're better at this kind of thing than I am," Kid said softly. Liz smiled to herself. He'd never said anything like that to her. Nonetheless, she focused on Ame.

"Come on, get up!" Liz shouted. "We'll all die if you don't use some of that 'Divine Power' of yours! I know it's forbidden, but you have to break the rules sometimes in order to do what's right. Think about Kid! He'd be dead right now if it weren't for your interference!"

"And we wouldn't be in this mess if it weren't for me breaking the rules in the first place," Ame whispered. "This is all our fault. Our Madness shouldn't exist."

"What are you talking about?!" Liz demanded. "We just resolved that it was Arachne that—"

"I'm not talking about that," Ame admitted quietly. Things seemed to go in slow motion for a moment. "You see, I…."

"Ame, come on! I—!" Kid cut himself off with a yell when one of the witch's spells hit him dead in the chest.

"Kid!" his weapons cried.

"Ame, please!" Liz screamed. "I shouldn't have to plead you for your help! What kind of goddess would have her people begging at her feet until she does something about it?!"

Ame shook her head, a loud yell rising in her throat as she charged at the witch, tackling her to the ground and growling. The world seemed to freeze for a moment as a bright light surrounded Ame. She looked up at the dark sky. Three blue stars shone in a pattern above her. She reached out to draw a fourth star and watched the constellation come to life.

"Ah, Amaterasu," a squeaky voice said. The light dimmed to reveal a white mouse on a sword in front of her. "It is about time we met. I am Tachigami, the mouse god of the Chinese Zodiac and guardian of the first brush technique. You have overcome your fear of power and embraced your true self at last. I now give you the power to cut your enemies down to size by drawing a single line. Use this power to protect and conquer."

"Ame! Look out!"

The witch threw Ame aside, and the wolf collapsed in a pile of rubble. Kid stared at the lifeless wolf in shock.

"Ame! No…."

Ame's eyes opened. She leapt to her feet and several bands of light surrounded her like a closing flower. When the mist cleared, there stood a white wolf. Not just any white wolf, like Ame's brothers; Ame's form had crimson markings on her shoulders and face. The tip of her tail, which had once been a faded grey, was now vibrantly black with fresh ink. She ran towards the evil witch, snarling and growling.

Just before Ame made contact with the witch, a flaming disk appeared in her mouth. She swung her head to the side, successfully striking the witch down. The disk recoiled to hover magnetically above Ame's back as she stood, her tail ribboning with fury, over the witch. Kid stared at the Divine entity with awe; Ame was embracing her position as a goddess!

"Nameless witch of rage and hate," Ame addressed. "You have defiled the art of Madness and you've driven evil into this world. As Inochigami Amaterasu, I judge you."

"What?!" the witch began to panic. As a final attempt at succeeding in her plan, the witch did something that no one expected. Her soul left her body, which dissipated into nothing more than a corpse, and went directly into the first person it could find… Kid.

"No!" Ame cried as she shredded the lifeless body of the witch.

Kid gasped in fear and threw his weapons aside, not wanting them to be corrupted by the combined wavelengths.

"Get out!" he screamed. He doubled over and began coughing up blood as her soul began tearing through his. He was in an absolute panic, trying to fight and claw at whatever was already inside him. His weapons and friends could do nothing but watch in horror as he began clawing at his own throat. He felt incredible pain all over his body as the evil began to consume him. His eyes turned red and five vertical lines appeared over his mouth. He was shaking in fear. He could see everything in that witch's mind. Her plans, her thoughts.

"We can't attack when she possesses him like that," Tsubaki said. "We'll only end up hurting him."

"What can we do?!" Liz cried in panic. "She's killing him!"

"Stay away," Kid warned, collapsing to his knees.

"Kid!" Liz screamed, running towards him. She knelt beside him. "Kid, come on, snap out of it!"

"Liz," Kid cried, turning towards her. It scared her, but his demonic, red eyes were filled with remorse. He was weak again; he'd failed her… again. "Liz, I'm sorry."

"Don't you dare say anything like that!" Liz shouted, tears brimming her blue eyes. "Just hang on, I promise I'll get her out!"

Kid tried to push her away, but Liz persistently wrapped her arms around him and held him tightly. He stared forward blankly as she started crying into his shoulder.

"I'm sorry," she whispered. "I'm sorry about what happened and I'm sorry I couldn't help you. Please, Kid—stop beating yourself up about this. Hasn't Ame taught you anything? It's okay to feel weak sometimes. You're weak now, but please just trust us; we can help you. Please."

Kid closed his eyes, putting one hand on her shoulder. Liz cried out in pain as he threw her back against the wall forcefully. She realized as she looked into his cold, harsh eyes that he was lost. She had failed him. She closed her eyes, merely waiting for death, when a cry came out from somewhere above them.

"Exorcism Paper Slash!" Ame cried, charging at the boy she loved.

"I don't know if I can do this," Ame thought. "This is a powerful exorcism move that has only been used by my mother. If something goes wrong, then Kid will die from this power."

"Whatever you choose to do," her mother's voice echoed in her head from a distant memory. "Be sure you do it for the right reasons. Know what you're fighting for. Once you know this, you'll have the strength to save the one you love."

"Yes," Ame thought. "I am fighting for him that he may live and preserve peace like he was destined to do. I'm also doing it for Liz and Patti, so they won't have to bear the pain of watching their meister die. Same for the others, and Lord Death. He deserves to have someone as wonderful as Kid for a son, and he deserves to keep him!"

A brilliant light shone from her soul as she shot forward, bringing her paintbrush tail across Kid's chest, separating the two conflicting souls inside him. The witch's soul and spirit completely dissolved, moving on to a darker place to reside. Kid collapsed to the floor in a pool of his own blood.

Kid felt a subtle warmth in his soul. It was the same healing warmth that he had felt when Ame healed his eyes and exorcised them of the demons. Everything was dark, but Kid felt safe. He could hear a gentle voice speaking to him, singing. He recognized it as Ame's demon lullaby.

"_Sleep all you like… watch the path we take, for at its end, we may meet a demon_…."

"Kid," a voice murmured. "It's time to wake up now."

"Ikiru?" Kid whispered in his subconscious, searching for the white wolf. He'd heard her voice before, but she'd never seemed so gentle, so kind….

"Kid, wake up!"

Kid opened his eyes wearily, relieved to see the faces of his two weapons and Ame. He never really expected to see her face, but he liked seeing her worried about him. Not that he meant to worry any of them—it was just a nice feeling that he was cared for and appreciated.

It was a homey feeling.

One last thing before the story is resolved; another bright light began glowing above them. Kid and Ame looked up to see the glowing constellation of a beautiful dragon.

"What are you guys looking at?" Liz asked. Ame's face split in a huge grin.

"A constellation!" she hurriedly drew in the fifth and final star in the constellation and she and Kid were engulfed in the bright light. It seemed they were in a different dimension now. There were clouds everywhere and it was so bright and beautiful.

"Where are we?" Kid asked.

"The Divine Realm, child of Death," a voice replied. Kid looked up to see the dragon they had revived. "I don't have much time; my weakened power came back only in your presence, Amaterasu. Benevolent goddess, as a sign of my gratitude I shall be one of the first to give you a power to use your Celestial Brush. Take this power and move forward with it, cure the world of darkness and decay. I, Yomigami, give you the power of Rejuvination."

Ame felt a warmth inside of her as the power was accepted in her. Then it was over; they were back on earth where they had left their bodies.

"Are you two okay?" Maka asked.

"Better than ever," Kid replied, looking at Ame.

"Mom is going to kill me," she thought.

Soul Eater

"I saw it all," Kid admitted later when he and the others, the wolves, Lord Death, Spirit, and Stein had all gathered outside the DWMA. "It's as the witch said. Arachne used the destruction of Death and the Madness of Life to create weapons. Ikiru gave my father the last of her power to create demon tools so that Arachne could be stopped. Now that there is no god of madness or life, they are trying to revive Arachne, so that she could finish what she started."

"I honestly owe you a lot, Amaterasu," Lord Death said. "If it weren't for you, my son would be dead. Several times, in fact. Thank you."

"Sure," Kid muttered. "Just ignore the fact that I found out your biggest secret."

"I think you owe her more than a little thanks," Spirit muttered with a grin. "Let her keep breaking the rules. She's a goddess, for crying out loud."

"I think this will work after all," Lord Death said. Ikiru nodded in agreement. "So, when's the wedding?"

"I suppose we shouldn't keep them waiting too long," Ikiru replied.

"No wedding!" Kid snapped.

"Oh, so I just survived for nothing?" Ame asked.

"Isn't she a little young to have marriage plans?" Stein asked, turning the screw in his head and staring intently at Ame's soul.

"I've seen pretty girls like that get hitched way earlier in life," Spirit disagreed.

Reaper CHOP!

"You don't have to hide your feelings from me," Ame said, giving Kid a puppy face.

"Stop that!" Kid sighed. "Listen, Ame, I know that you're really hell-bent on marrying me, but you know, you're a wolf. I'm a human. I know that we mature differently, so you may be ready, but I'm not."

"Oh, I see," Ame nodded her head eagerly. "How about on Tuesday, then?"

"My desire for your company is shrinking," he thought, face-palming. Ame laughed.

"Got it," she nodded a bit more seriously this time. "No marriage. But you'd better keep me happy. If it weren't for the food you gave me, I would have never stuck around."

"Deal."

She put her hand forward and Kid took it, prepared to shake on it. Instead, Ame used her grip on his hand to yank him forward and kiss him on the nose. Kid pulled away, blushing furiously, a thin trail of blood trickling down his upper lip.

"Ame!" he complained.

"Nice maneuver, Ame," Liz praised as Patti began laughing hysterically.

"Look at the bright side, Kid," Soul said, putting one arm around his friend. "At least she knows how to cook. And she's also pretty cute too—"

Maka CHOP!

"Why did you DO that?"

"If you make my sister cry, I'm going to crunch your face off," Rin warned. Kid shuddered openly this time. Rin was like Patti; cute, but violent.

"Mind your manners," Ikiru chided.

"Yes, Mama," he sighed, turning his head.

"But I have to agree with my cubs," Ikiru said. "If you don't love Ame, then there's no point in me keeping you alive, is there?"

"Why aren't you doing anything about this?" Kid asked Lord Death.

"It's just a little discussion between the few of you; it's not really my business."

"How is it a little discussion if they're threatening my life?!"

Ame sighed and looked up at the sky. She could live now with the people she loved. Kid would come around soon; she wouldn't rush him anymore. She'd give him some space for now. More importantly, she was alive. Forever.

** Aw… How sweet! The end isn't quite here, but I'm glad I was able to get this much up before Thanksgiving. I might not post an author's note in the next chapter… it's kind of long and sad…. Till next time I have time to publish an author's note!**


	14. Chapter 14

Kid was out in his backyard in the late afternoon. The sun was setting, casting a dusty glow over his garden. He bent down to finger some of the loose soil. He'd been trying to fill the garden for months, but he never could find the time. Maybe Ame could help him; she was an expert on plant life. He stood up and brushed his hands together, raising his head when a white flash caught his eye.

Ame was standing at the edge of the stone fence. Behind her, the mysterious forest was quiet. Kid smiled at her and waved. She didn't return the wave as he made his way over to the fence and jumped over the low stone structure.

"Lonely already?" he asked playfully. He looked at Ame uncertainly. "Ame, what's wrong? You seem… troubled."

"Look here," Ame said, pointing to the mountains on the other side of the forest. In the distance, past the forest, a bright white silhouette was ghosting along the far edge of the forest. It was disappearing over the edge of the hill, going to faraway lands.

"Is that Ikiru?" Kid asked quietly. Ame nodded. "Where is she going?"

"The forest isn't the place for us anymore," Ame replied. "She figured we could all disperse in any form we want to. It's too late for us to fight against the humans, but you've showed her that we can't just submit either. We're going to farther places. The world won't ever be as it was last weekend."

"Yes it will," Kid said. "The spirit of Life still exists. She is life itself; she's everywhere. The world may change a lot, but it's still our world. As long as we're alive, nothing else matters, right?"

"I can think of something."

"What's that?"

"If we're together," Ame replied quietly.

"A-Ame…" he began quietly. "You… you mean… I…. Why did you say your other form would frighten me?"

He kicked himself internally; why couldn't he just tell her how he felt?

"Because I knew it disgusts you, being an animal," Ame replied. "And it would have made what I'm about to do so much harder."

"What are you talking—?"

"I'm leaving," Ame interrupted her in a harsh whisper.

Kid's eyes widened. No, it can't be. Ame pulled away from him, taking a few steps away.

"No, wait!"

Ame stopped and peeked around her shoulder at him. She looked very wolf like with her course hair curling around her neck and her searching golden eyes narrowed slightly.

"Ame, don't go," Kid spoke firmly, as if it was an order. "I think it's safer if you stay here with us."

"Kid, I have no home now. Unless you'd be willing to keep me? Kid, you know nothing about me. I'm Madness! I'm an animal! Are you really ready for me?"

There was a moment of silence as small droplets of rain began to shower from the sky. The rain got heavier and heavier until finally, Ame spoke.

"Kid, I have something to ask of you."

"Anything."

"Tell me how much you love me."

Another pause. Ame was just about to turn around when Kid snatched her and wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"I… I love you, Ame," he said. "I know I don't act like it, but I'd do anything for you. Even if you were human, I'd still love you. I think it's really cute when you play around with me and the others. If you stay here, I can… I'll find out what your favorite food is. You'd like that, right?"

"Of course," Ame's voice was trembling as she pulled away. She transformed into a white wolf. "But what about this? This is my true form, and I know you hate it."

"… That's not true."

"LIAR!"

There was silence.

"Listen, Ame, I can accept that you're a wolf. I don't care, really. But the plans you have in life don't feel right. A wolf and a human together… that's just not proper. But I promise you, you can stay here. I will not shun you as you were before."

"Just tell me. Kid. Do you accept my being a wolf or not?"

"…"

Tears were gushing down her face. She turned away from him and began running. Kid bolted after her into the dark forest.

"Ame, wait!" he shouted.

He tried following the white wolf through the fields and soon the forest, but he was too weak and slow. He soon lost sight of her and found himself just aimlessly wandering. He tripped several times, blinded by tears and rain. He got to his feet countless times, fighting to find Ame or the wolves. Nothing. This forest was like any other now. He paused and looked down. There was a small print in the dirt—a footprint. Her foot was so small in comparison to his.

He pushed on. He screamed for her repeatedly.

"Ame!" he cried. "Just please, come back! Please, Ame!"

He stumbled over a fallen tree and slipped. He slid roughly down a slick cliff of mud and water. He was tumbling for a while, occasionally hitting a rock or tree, before he found the ground. Except this time, he didn't get up. He couldn't. His body was sore from cold and exhaustion, his eyes burned from crying. He felt for sure that something was broken in his body from his fall; not that he cared, his powers could heal it in no time. The thing that hurt worse than all of those things combined was his heart. Why, Ame? Why did she leave him lying there?

"A… Ame," he whispered. "Why did you leave? Aren't you cold and sad? I… I still need to protect you…."

Soul Eater

Maka fingered through the pile of mail that no one had bothered to go through for a while. She paused on a small white envelope with a black paw print on it. She carefully picked it out of the pile and unfolded it. Black ink decorated the page in fancy script, and Maka took only a few moments to read it. The paper floated to the ground and Maka stared ahead in shock.

"Hey, Maka, did you get dinner ready yet?" Soul asked, walking into the kitchen. He paused when he saw her troubled expression. "Never mind, I'll get it…. Is something wrong?" he looked down at the paper at her feet and picked it up. His expression changed entirely as he read the cold words.

"Soul, she's gone," Maka whispered. "I didn't even… get to say… goodbye."

Soul wrapped his arms around her as she began crying. There was so much they still wanted to know about Ame; more that they wanted to do with her. Now she was gone forever?

Blackstar and Tsubaki discovered the letter Ame had left for them on their doorstep with a bouquet of wild flowers. Tsubaki couldn't stop crying, and even Blackstar was silent.

"So, you had to leave after all?" Lord Death asked, tilting his head slightly. Ame's reflection shone in his mirror, along with the image of her two brothers. Ame nodded her head sadly. "You know, you're always welcome back. You've become almost like a daughter to me by now."

"I must find my own path now," Ame resolved with a dreamy smile. "I might return for the holidays, but right now, I have to build an altar for the Inochigami from the dust where it crumbled. I have a long way to go."

"Ame-chan," Lord Death addressed her suddenly. She looked up with a hum. "I had an odd vision recently. Well, not really recently, but I feel as if I'd seen it a long, long time ago. It was of another world with other fates. Soul became a death scythe. Blackstar killed Mifune and we took the witch Angela in. There were also small tidbits and events like my son being trapped in the book of Eibon and his friends having to go through many trials to save him. But I think the oddest part about this vision was that Kid decided to get over his obsession with symmetry."

Ame gasped, her eyes widening.

"What do you think this means?" Lord Death pressed. He spoke as if he knew something he knew she wouldn't tell him. "What do you think it was?"

Ame lowered her head, keeping her gaze level. She spoke in an ominous voice.

"It was a dream."

Lord Death was surprised to see this. "Oh? Is that your answer then? It seems you've been breaking the rules for longer than we've been aware of."

Ame hesitated, but nodded once. The mirror grew dark and Lord Death stared at his own reflection for a moment.

"That eye is a gem, Amaterasu," he said out loud. "Use it well."

It felt like hours until someone found Kid lying there on his side. By then his physical pain had healed, so they didn't need to worry at all. He felt tense, warm hands press into his cold shoulders. He was being carried? After a while, the gentle sway of the person's movement came to a halt.

"Leave him there," Ame commanded. He assumed she was talking to her brothers. He felt someone set him down again on the cold wet ground. The footsteps began to fade and Kid found the strength to wake up. He opened his eyes and lifted himself up on his hands. He was on the stone pathway outside his house. The white wolf with crimson paint and her plain triplet brothers were walking away from him.

"Ame?" he asked. The wolf half-turned. "You're coming back, right?"

The wolf shook her head.

"But… I haven't done anything for you yet!"

The wolf turned all the way around, her mouth agape, her mismatched eyes filled with emotion. She was suddenly human again, her pure white hair whipping around her face in the sharp breeze.

"Even so," Kid whispered, his eye filling with tears. "I… I still have to protect you from the humans and the Kishin. I still have to find out what food you crave. Don't you want someone to understand you?"

"You never know how precious one thing is until it's gone away for good," Ame murmured, lowering her head. She turned and began walking. Kid sniffled and reached after her.

"Ame, wait!"

"BACK OFF!" Nagi darted forward, lashing out and snatching Kid's leg in his jaws. Kid let out a small scream as the bone was crushed and he was thrown a good few feet back.

"AME!" he sobbed, reaching after the wolves as they bounded through the forest.

"Kid, what are you doing out here?" Liz's voice sounded behind him as the two sisters ran out the garden gate.

Kid lowered his hand and let his head fall. Liz and Patti were both out there in the middle of the night looking for him in the rain. How kind. Liz knelt beside Kid, gripping his shoulders with trembling fingers and shaking him.

"What were you thinking coming outside in the rain like this?" Liz asked.

"Liz," he whispered. "She's gone."

Liz looked up at the distant woods to see small white shadows darting up the mountains. Liz felt tears begin to fall down her face. She held on to her crying meister whilst Patti held an umbrella over their heads. Kid stopped crying surprisingly soon, for he knew it wouldn't help anything. He pulled away slightly, rubbing at his eyes.

"Liz, take me home," he plead. "I-I just want to go home, okay?"

Liz stared at him for a split second before giving a relaxed nod. They all began walking home in the rain. Even if Ame stayed, it wouldn't change Kid's fate or Lord Death's. Things would be the same no matter what. Kid just had to accept that. Kid was about to drop any thought of Ame when a sound stopped him and made him turn around.

Ame's loud, feral, full howl filled the evening. She was calling back to him. She was making amends for his broken heart… for both of theirs. She didn't belong there; she had her own life to live. She was a goddess, after all. Kid felt overwhelmed by sudden joy in his decision; yes, it was for the best to let her go. He didn't need to protect her anymore. He brought up all his strength and let it all out as he shouted back to her.

"GO LIVE YOUR LIFE NOW!"

He saw her disappear behind the pink sakura tree for what could be forever. The tree was still there, and as long as it was, it glowed as a beacon of hope to the residents of Death City. As long as it was there, there was hope; Amaterasu was always with them.

Final; Hope is Always There!

**Kioku no oku tadoru**__

_Tracing the depths of my memories,_

**Yukiba naku kawareyuku kokoro tsunagitome**__

_I fasten together my crumbling heart, no place left to go_

**Mou ichido kono basho de**__

_Come here once again and _

**Te wo totte eien' no hate e tsuredashite**

_Take my hand, take me away to the ends of eternity_

**Kakedashi toki ga hashiridasu**

_Dashing forward, I find a way to know the_

**Mirai wo shiru sono sube wo nigirishime**

_Future. Time races ahead and _

**Ashita wo mitsuketa no**

_I see tomorrow, but_

**Demo fuan do shou ga nai kokoro wo kakusenai**

_I cannot hide my heart now fraught with anxiety._

**Kasureta koe ds tobashita omoi mo**

_My thoughts I release in a rasping voice_

**Todokanai mujou ni kieteku kokoro wo tsukamenai**

_Disappear into an unreachable void; I cannot grasp the heart._

**Hitomi ni utsushita kioku kaeshite**

_Return the memories I've captured in my eyes,_

**Kono saki no mirai ni kitto mata deaeru to shin'jite!**

_Believe one day in the future we'll meet again!_


	15. Chapter 15

** This is kind of an extra chapter. It's not very long and it doesn't have title sequences, but it's like the apple chapter and it has some relevant character development. And stuff… so yeah….**

Kid was sitting at his desk with his head down on the wooden surface. His arms curled around his head lazily. It hurt…. Why wasn't Ame there, bugging him relentlessly and bullying him? Why could he not pull her ears and curse her out anymore? He hadn't eaten in two days, and he never really slept either, he just stayed very still all the time. It was starting to scare his friends. Kid heard a soft knock on his door.

"Kid?" Liz asked quietly. He barely looked alive. "Your dad called. He wants to see you at the school."

Kid slowly raised his head. He didn't like moving. It only increased the already unbearable pain in his soul.

Kid didn't really know or care how he got to school. He was sitting at a small coffee table with his father, drinking tea. Well, Lord Death drank tea; Kid just gazed into the swirling liquid with a passive face.

"So, Kid, how are you?" Lord Death's tone was slightly quieter and more serious than usual. There was no answer. "Kid? You know, you can talk to me about this. I'm probably the only one who can understand, and I promise I'll listen to you."

Kid raised his head slightly. He and his father weren't very close, but what did he have to lose? "What is this pain I feel when I think about her? It's like something really important to me has been ripped away. We were just friends, but… now that she's gone… I can't…."

"That's the curse of the Inochigami," Lord Death explained sadly. "Many would call it a blessing. Once you've seen one, you would long for their presence always, and it gets painful when they leave. For Shinigami, it is the worst emotional pain they can endure. But you weren't around her that long, so I guess…."

He looked up to see fine trails of tears streaming down Kid's face. Kid bit his lip. He could only utter one phrase before he lost complete control.

"I miss her, Dad!"

He began crying. He put his hands up against his face, trying to stop the tears, but they just wouldn't. His body was shaking with sobs. He gave up trying to hold back any longer. He needed to express his pain to someone. He just… didn't want his friends or partners to deal with him like this and… he wasn't all that close with the teachers….

"Kid," Lord Death whispered, trying to fight back tears of his own. He reached out to his son feebly. "Come here."

Kid collapsed in his arms and kept crying. He felt… safer in his father's embrace. Better. It didn't hurt so much knowing and understanding why he felt this way. It felt a bit odd; Kid had never been particularly close to his father. Now he realized it was because of the Inochigami's secrets that Lord Death couldn't even tell him. Now that all that was revealed, there wasn't anything between them anymore. This felt… good. Kid and Lord Death both felt that this would be a landmark in their relationship; things would be better from now on.

Ame was lying face down in the grass. "I should just turn myself to stone."

"Oh please," Nagi muttered. Rin chuckled, gnawing on a stray rabbit bone. The three had stopped for lunch somewhere in Japan, but apparently, Ame didn't want to move again.

"I feel terrible," Ame continued. Nagi rolled his eyes. Being the goddess of life, Ame was immensely upset whenever she made someone unhappy. Her last memory with Kid was dragging her down. Overcome with guilt, she feared this was the end of her godhood.

"Oh, come on," Nagi snapped, tired of her whining. "It's just one guy. He'll get over it."

"I'm total garbage. That's it; I'm road kill. I don't deserve to live anymore. Just throw me off a cliff into the water; I promise I won't swim."

"You're totally insane!" Nagi yelled at her. "Why can't you just get over it and start living your life like he told you to?!"

Ame wasn't listening to him—not in the slightest—but a sudden noise made her ear twitch. She sat up immediately as three demons jumped into the clearing. She transformed with a growl, but that… didn't matter. Before she could leap into action, someone came up behind the demons and knocked them to the side. Ame sensed a powerful presence, but was surprised yet again when an old woman stepped into view.

"Not bad for a blind, old woman, is it?" she chirped, shaking her fingers at the demons. "You'll think twice before setting foot here again. Go on, now—begone!"

As the demons fled, Ame and her brothers stared at the woman in disbelief. Seeing no point in staying in her wolf form, Ame transformed and curiously approached the supposedly blind woman.

"Ame!" Nagi snapped quietly. "Get away from there!"

Ame always considered herself a good judge of character; she felt that this woman was no real threat to them. She was lowered to the ground, defensive in case the woman tried to attack anyway. The woman turned to her and smiled one of those warm, homey smiles that nice elderly people have.

"There, you don't have to be afraid," she murmured, holding out her hand to touch the goddess's head gently. "You're a little shorter than I expected. Why don't you come inside for a bit?"

Ame accepted. The woman took her to a small cottage beside the forest. The woman took her to the den and served her tea; that's when they started chatting.

"You're the goddess of life, aren't you?" she asked softly. Ame nodded.

"I am Amaterasu," she replied.

"Amaterasu, what a pretty name," the woman smiled again. "You can just call me Granny, dear. I've gotten so old that it's just easier that way."

Ame and the woman exchanged a laugh.

"What are you doing way out here?" Granny asked. "I heard you were in Death City. Why have you left so suddenly?"

"Death's son didn't like my wolf form," Ame mumbled. She really didn't want to talk about it. "He wasn't ready to accept me. I want to go back, but first… I think we need more time away from each other to think about things. I need to learn more of how to please him… maybe I could become a good wife."

"Huh, little jackass," Granny sniffed. Ame jumped at the profanity. "He should be ashamed of himself, the spoiled thing. If I ever see him, I promise to give him a good slap for causing you so much trouble. But I can help you with the cooking and cleaning, for starters. He won't know what hit him when you go back!"

"Yeah!" Ame exclaimed, that fire relit in her sporadic soul. "And I promise to eat lots and lots while I'm here so I can grow taller!"


	16. Chapter 16

**I do not own Soul Eater or any other media referred to in this fanfiction.**

It had been months since Ame's life had changed; two seasons had passed since she met and healed the child embodiment of death himself, Death the Kid. Ame left Kid and her other friends in Death City, Nevada, to go to Japan. Ame and her brothers, Nagi and Rin, dwelt there ever since, helping people as only gods could do. Ame took up a search for divine deities that would guide her in her brush techniques. She currently resided with an old woman she affectionately called Granny.

If she truly did belong here, then why did it feel so wrong? Ame stared at the brightening horizon as the sun began to rise over the vast fields of harvest crops. Now, it felt as though the phantom of her alter ego was haunting her every move.

"Kid," she sighed wistfully as the breeze teased her white hair.

Death the Kid stared out at the city. He was on the roof of the academy, leaning against the rail pensively. He'd been having similar thoughts about Ame, but without any type of work aside from school-related studies and missions, he spent his free time in a daze. He imagined her… her beauty, her purity. Her eyes were mismatched, but that was okay; she meant more to him the symmetry.

His friends gathered in a circle a few feet away from him. They'd usually let him have lunch time alone to sulk, but today, they wanted to do something about it.

"He's been doing that for weeks," Liz said. "I know their meeting each other really struck a chord in their souls and stuff, but this is getting out of hand."

"Poor Kid," Maka spoke up.

"He must really miss her," Soul frowned.

"We all do," Tsubaki agreed.

"When is she coming back, anyway?" Blackstar's voice was quieter than usual, but still impatient.

"I don't think she will, Blackstar," Tsubaki said, trying to be quiet enough that Kid couldn't hear her.

"Why not?" Blackstar pressed. "She said she'd visit us."

"It doesn't work like that, Blackstar," Maka explained.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"She regrets everything. She thinks she doesn't deserve to be here," Maka glanced back at Kid. She knew he felt guilty. He was the one who drove her out in the first place.

Kid sighed heavily. He should join the others for lunch. He didn't want to eat, but he could sit with them for a while. Being around his friends quenched the loneliness, to some extent. Kid didn't hear them talking to him as he straightened and trudged towards their new usual spot on the roof, until….

"Hey Kid, I think something is running at you."

He raised his head just before he crashed to the ground.

"HI, HONEY!" Ame yelled at the top of her lungs, tackling Kid in a wild hug and knocking them both to the ground.

Ame Returns! Will It Be Forever This Time?

Kid stared up at the wolf girl in disbelief. She was even better than he remembered; her mismatching eyes, her silky wolf ears and tail. The black tip of her tail was darker than ever, vibrant with fresh black blood. Kid felt like the happiest person on earth now that she had returned. He noticed she hadn't gotten over tackling people. He would have smiled at her after the shock subsided, but then he noticed her… precarious position over his body.

"Come on!" she whined, wagging her tail in the air. "Rub me behind the ears and tell me how much you missed me!"

"Get off me!" Kid demanded, thoroughly embarrassed. He pushed her away and got to his feet. While he was brushing the dust off of his jacket, the others decided to get their greetings in. Ame raised her head and wagged her tail happily as they ran to meet her.

"I missed having Kid freak out over everything you do," Liz said. "Now he just kind of sits around moping."

"And I lay in my bed, prostrate with grief," Ame replied.

"What's up lately?" Soul asked. "We haven't seen you in months. If this is your interpretation of visiting often, then it's not cool."

"Well, _excuse me_," Ame scoffed. "I left on Sunday with the intention of coming here, but I. Got. Lost."

"We missed you," Tsubaki added.

"I didn't think you were going to come back," Maka said.

"Hey Ame," Kid interrupted. Ame looked at him as he made his way towards her. He paused in front of her and gave her a small smile. "I thought about what you said… and the answer is yes."

"You're getting married?" Patti snickered hopefully. Ame and Kid deadpanned.

"No!" Kid yelled. "Of course not!"

"Hey Ame," Maka interrupted. "There's a small carnival going on soon. Do you think you can stay long enough to go with us?"

"Of course," Ame nodded. "I'm staying forever this time, since I live with Kid and all."

"Hey, wait a minute," Kid interrupted. "Since when do you—"

"POINTING ABILITY!" Ame shouted, leaning towards him and pointing a finger at his chest.

"What the heck was that?" Kid asked with a very annoyed blink. She put her chin against his chest and looked up at him. She looked like a puppy.

"You remember what I said earlier about sweets making me feel sick but I love them anyway? Is it like that with us?"

"You've gotten worse," Kid muttered, covering his nose to prevent blood flow and pushing her away. "Fine. I see what you want. Do you want to have lunch with us?"

"He's good," Maka said.

"Yay! Thank you, sugar drop!" Ame squealed, wrapping her arms around Kid's chest in a dangerously tight hug.

"Don't call me that!" Kid snapped, struggling to get out of her death grip. "I can't breathe either!"

Ame released him and sat in the small circle with her other friends. "So what's for lunch?"

Soul Eater

"Nom!" Ame sighed as she took a large bit out of the food she'd prepared for her journey here.

"So, Ame," Kid started making conversation. "What were you doing while you were gone?"

"As I told you before," Ame said. "I was searching for the gods trapped in those broken constellations. I found Hanagami, the monkey god who gave me the power of Bloom. By drawing a circle, I can help things grow, open things up, and show true forms."

"Fascinating," Maka said, absorbing all the information.

"And you'll love this, Kid," Ame turned to her best friend yet. "I've officially opened the doors to the Divine Realm after finding the third god. Now I want to make sure, do you know what the Realm is?!"

"Thankfully, my father told me that much after you left," Kid replied.

"What is the Divine Realm?" Tsubaki asked in interest.

"It's my world," Ame explained. "Just like Shinigami have the Grim World, we Inochigami have a Divine Realm. I've never seen the Grim World, although I am allowed to, but I imagine it must be very dark."

"That's the most sensible thing I've heard you say," Kid said, knocking her upside the head and giving her a 'no-duh' face. "It's very dark. Only the souls can be seen there. It may sound scary, but it's not that bad. I mean, it's the land of Death; it's not _that_ bad."

"Well, the Divine Realm is very bright," Ame explained. "But not too bright, you know? There are clouds everywhere, too. It's really… pretty. Anyway, the gods of the Zodiac are weakening because their shrines were destroyed during the war between Death and the Spider Queen. People have stopped believing in them and offering, hence they're power is digressing."

"So you've been rebuilding the shrines and reestablishing their places?" Kid asked. Ame nodded absentmindedly, but she seemed to be staring at Kid's lunch.

"I'd like a bit of that!" she said, reaching over without asking and helping herself to a forkful of his food. Kid was thoroughly disgusted by her manners. He pushed her away.

"Hey! You have your own lunch, Miss Piggy!"

"Call me that again and I will stab you with my new sword Seven Strike!"

"How could you stab me with a sword called Seven Strike?! The asymmetry!"

"They have a long way to go," Tsubaki sighed. "As all lovers do."

"Ah, it'll be alright," Liz smirked. "Kid won't let her go this time. Besides, isn't Ame a little young for him? Even if they are the same age, she's kind of childish."

"Maybe after she gains some more of her power back," Maka suggested. "And she's mature when she wants to be. I think she's just enjoying being silly while she can. She knows Kid wants to protect her is all."

"You're not that bad with people, Maka," Soul noted. "I'd never noticed before. I don't know if it's because you read books or if that's why you weren't able to tell us that way earlier in the story—!"

"CHOP! Shut up, Soul."

"Fine," Ame resolved. "I didn't like your lunch anyway. It's so unhealthy; from now on, I should make your meals."

"Don't baby me," Kid muttered through gritted teeth.

"What's your problem with Kid's lunch?" Blackstar blinked. "It seems fine to me."

"It's too bland," Ame replied, turning her back on Kid (shun~).

"I will start packing spicy things in my food, so help me," Kid hissed possessively. Ame tried not to react, but her displeased face made Blackstar grin mischeviously.

"If you want flavor, you can try mine," Blackstar held his. "It's rice curry. You know, it's one of those exotic dishes. Tsubaki made it, and her cooking is to die for. Go on, try it."

Kid's eyes snapped to Ame as she put a small bite of the curry into her mouth.

"Oh no, wait!" he warned.

Too late. Ame stared ahead with a blank stare for a moment, taking in the spicy flavor. She couldn't take it after eight seconds. Tears welled up in her eyes and she threw her head back.

"BWAAAAUHHHH!" she screamed.

"Blackstar!" Kid scolded the laughing ninja. Patti was laughing too, but that was expected. Tsubaki silenced her meister with a stiff punch to the head.

So, as the day ended, Ame resolved that she would never cause her friends so much pain again. No matter what even Blackstar did to her, she would remain loyal to them.


	17. Chapter 17

Kid awoke the next morning in a daze. Getting out of bed in the morning had been a daily chore since Ame left; he was too depressed to consider it otherwise. He had little memory of yesterday, but he vaguely remembered something about Ame coming to visit. Did she leave again? Kid was about to dismiss the thought, but when he rolled over in bed, he came nose-to-nose with the cutest girl he'd ever seen.

_ (*Thoughts before he freaked out*: Aw, she's so cute when she sleeps.)_

Then he shot up like a bullet.

"Ame, what the hell are you doing in my room?!"

"It was late when we got home," Ame murmured, snuggling closer to him. She wasn't actually _in bed_ with him, but merely laying over the covers beside him. Her breath was warm and her indulgent wolfish scent filled Kid's senses. Kid squirmed off the bed.

"That doesn't make it okay to sleep with me!" he yelled. "You could have slept with Liz or Patti, at least."

Ame seemed to just realize he was yelling at her and raised her head tiredly. She lifted herself on her hands and knees and let out a loud yawn. Kid tried to not look directly at her; she was kind of frumpy from sleeping.

"If it weren't for me, you would have frozen," Ame said, flicking her tail. Kid sighed, but before he could say anything, Ame continued. "You kept kicking the blankets off."

"I did?" Kid blinked. He looked at the floor, where his black comforter was pooling on the carpet.

"You seemed awfully upset," Ame continued with a sly grin. Kid frowned, feeling heat rush to his face.

"Get out."

Welcome Home; A Perfect Life for a Young Inochigami?

"I never knew you were such a good cook," Ame admitted quietly. She was sitting at the table, her hands folded between her knees and her feet kicking back and forth over the floor she couldn't reach. She picked at the biscuits and ham served to her with a pleased grin.

"Thank you," Kid nodded, putting some honey on his food. "I didn't think you would bring all that fresh food from Japan."

"No problem," Ame grinned, stuffing her mouth full with eggs. "If I am to live here with you, I want to make sure you're taken care of."

"I suppose I should take better care of you, too," Kid mumbled, glancing at her bare feet.

"Hmm? What do you mean?" Ame swallowed.

"So you're over your fear of humans?" Kid inquired. "Because if you're going to live here with us, there are some rules you have to follow."

"Rules? Like what?"

"And you have to wear shoes," Kid added. "I know your feet can handle the tough terrain of the forest, but there's a lot of broken glass and stuff in the city; I don't want you to get hurt."

"Oh," Ame looked down at her plate, blushing slightly. "Yes, I suppose."

"I'll take you shopping for some new clothes as well," Kid continued. "I want you to dress better if I am to be seen in public with you."

She was wearing some clothes that looked like they were made by an old lady.

"I think it might be time for a haircut," Ame stated, fingering her wispy white locks.

'I don't know if she was paying attention or not, but I'll go with it,' Kid thought. Her hair was kind of choppy.

"Some reshaping would be nice," Kid said. "I think it would look good if you grew it long, though."

"But I don't want it to be long," Ame insisted.

'Unusual for a goddess,' Kid thought. 'I thought she'd want the long flowing hair like in the fairy tales. Not to offend her intellect, but she _is_ that flighty sometimes.'

"If you really want it, I can take you by the salon later this afternoon at best," Kid said.

"You don't have to do that," Ame shook her head. "I can cut it myself. Besides, you should stay home and clean the house. You've let it go to total ruin while I was gone."

"Well forgive me for missing you!"

"I'll consider it," Ame mumbled thoughtfully, licking her plate. Kid tried not to snap at her.

"Ame," he chided, eyeing her poor table manners. "Mind your manners, please. Honestly."

"What are you bickering about now?" Ame asked.

"I have a lot to teach you," Kid sighed, glancing at the clock. "And I only have half an hour before we have to go to school. Come with me."

He pulled her out of the dining room and through all the hallways quickly, telling her all the rules of the house he could.

"Make sure the books in the study are all exactly as you left… them…." Kid looked at the horrid condition of the library. Books were scattered everywhere. He tore his eyes away from the sight and continued down the hallway. Ame was right; the house was in an odd condition. "These three rooms," he continued, pointing at the three occupied bedrooms. "Are off limits."

Ame gave him an innocent pouty face, as if to say, 'I don't understand. Why not?'

"Don't look at me like that," Kid said quietly. "You can choose any of the other rooms you want and decorate it as you please. Right now, Liz, Patti, and I have to go to school. Please, please, _please_ do not mess with anything. We'll be home soon, okay?"

"Please card times three," Ame muttered. "I shall do whatever you say, master."

HOLY FREAKING NOSEBLEED!

With that, Ame was left alone in the large mansion. It had been a while since she'd been all alone. She glanced around the messy kitchen and living room with a disapproving frown that perhaps a parent would wear whilst looking at a child's dirty room. She went to the laundry room and reached for the cleaning supplies. Did he even do his new year's cleaning while she was gone?

She spent the entire day scrubbing, organizing, dusting, sweeping, and scrubbing again. She re-shelved all the stray books in the library—alphabetically, just like Kid told her to—and scrubbed the floors, vacuumed the carpets and repositioned the picture frames, cleaned the windows and brushed the spider webs out of the corners, washed the dishes and reorganized the kitchen—labeling things as she went along so she wouldn't forget where things were—and put some fresh venison pot roast on the stove for dinner.

Soul Eater

After she was done with her cleaning frenzy, she inspected some of the free rooms. The first one she looked at was open, with a small bed, a shelf, and a small window overlooking the closest street corner.

"I've always wanted a shelf," Ame admitted out loud. "But I think the window scene is kind of depressing, you know?" she turned around, frowning when she remembered she was alone. "Oh. There's no one there."

"I'm here, sugar!" a voice called*.

"Ah, Yoshii," Ame muttered. "The Jiminy Cricket of ancient Japan, good to hear you."

She ignored him and continued across the hallway to the other room. She opened the door and peered inside cautiously. There was a full sized bed in the corner with a shelf built into the headboard with two lamps on either side. Ame looked at the walls; they were a light bluish-white. Ame smiled and moved onto the window. She paused, tears filling the brims of her eyes. There was a window seat in front of a grand window overlooking the garden and… the forest. Ame couldn't help but smile.

"Hey, Ame!" Yoshii yelled. "Quit spacing out; I think the food's burning!"

That was the last Ame heard of Yoshii for the day because as soon as she got the pot roast off the stove, she heard the front door opening.

"Ame?"

"We're home!" Patti yelled.

"Welcome home!" Ame shouted back, sprinting to meet them in the foyer. "How was your day?"

"Long," Liz complained, walking into the kitchen for a glass of water. She paused in her tracks. "Ame? Did you clean the kitchen?"

"Yes," Ame replied. "I cleaned a lot today, so you wouldn't have to."

"Well, that was polite of you," Kid remarked, turning to walk down the hall. The day was long and he wanted to relax. "Since the house is in order…."

"NO, YOU DON'T!" Ame stuttered, jumping on him and wrapping her arms around his neck. Kid opened his eyes to see her sitting on top of him again.

"Pay attention to me now!" she whined childishly. Kid frowned.

"Behave, you," he ordered, pushing her off of him.

"Well, if you're interested, I made dinner too," Ame said, pulling him to his feet and dragging him into the kitchen. "See, Kid? Aren't you proud of me? I made dinner all by myself and I didn't get hurt. I can keep the house in order while you're gone, too. See, I belong here. This can be my home."

Kid looked at her for a moment as she continued speaking. He was reminded of her odd animal behavior. She spoke her mind and tried to please others; she was loyal, like a dog, but for what? He didn't give her any form of training or reward yet. She was something else. He smiled at her and reached toward her, drawing her close in a tight hug. Ame stopped talking immediately.

"Yeah," was all he said. "I see. Welcome home, Ame."

"You two should go on a date tonight!" Patti suggested loudly from where she was watching behind the doorframe. Kid and Ame jerked away from each other in surprise.

"What she means is," Liz interjected. "We'd be happy to take dinner in our rooms if you two want to eat alone."

"That will not be necessary," Kid snapped. "There are no special feelings between Ame and myself, right Ame?"

"Y-y-y-y" Ame stuttered, her eyes round and spacy with rage. She charged at Liz, pushing her across the hallway. Liz gasped in shock as she crashed into the wall, leaving several cracks. "YEAH!"

"I think you over did it a bit, Ame," Patti laughed.

"Yeah, I got the picture," Liz rasped, trembling in pain.

"Just come eat, girls," Kid said, dishing out food for everyone.

Liz's instant replay and analysis

CRASH! "YEAH!"

Liz sat down at the dinner table with the rest of them. Usually, Kid would sit at the head of the table with the girls on opposite sides of him, but to maintain symmetry, the four of them were seated together, two on each side of the table, in the middle. Liz stared across the table at Kid and sighed.

"Maybe he is serious," she thought. "Maybe he won't have any feelings for Ame. I mean, they are life and death; maybe their relationship is to just fight alongside each other in battle. That's pretty much it right now. And judging by what just happened, it could be possible that nothing interesting will ever develop between them."

She thought about Kid's firm reaction to her suggestion of Ame and Kid dining alone.

"His statement was firm, but confident and unwavering, much unlike his previous reactions to our constant shipping. Then he asked Ame to make sure she felt the same way. Of course, Ame only jokes about their marriage; she isn't serious, right? And by her reaction, she either hated my statement or hated Kid for assuming stuff. Either way, afterwards, Kid called us 'girls' specifically to clump us together in a group. He didn't say an insincere 'you guys' or a formal, discerning 'humans and wolf' type phrase. He was expressing his equal feelings amongst the three of us as a beacon for the dawn of a new age! I could become a poet with this stuff!"

She looked up at Kid again, who was trying to control the two mannerless dinner table residents, and smiled. It made her a little sad that the whole life and death thing wasn't going to be more than intense friendship, but they were still young and could experience more than just that. She resolved that she would lay off pressuring Kid for a while. Maybe one day he might just realize it on his own.

***So Ame has a voice in her head and she calls it Yoshii… okay, I'll take it.**

** Yay! Second chapter of the second arc! Let me warn you… really. Fluffy.**


	18. Chapter 18

"It just occurred to me," Kid said absentmindedly whilst reading the Sunday paper. Ame looked up attentively from where she was eating across the table. "I said you could decorate your room as you liked and such, but you don't have any stuff, do you?"

Ame slammed her palms down on the table, her mouth agape in the sad shock that he was right.

Useless Findings; Shopping for a Picky Wolf?

"Winter's about over, but there's always a sharp draft near the end, so you probably need a coat, let's see… shoes, of course," Kid listed off the things they needed to buy today. Liz and Patti trailed behind, keeping Ame in check. Liz was giving Ame helpful tips about living with Kid, the world, the universe, and everything.

"Don't run into the street," Liz ordered. "Watch for cars. Don't help just anybody out here; some people can be dangerous. Don't do anything dangerous or dirty if you don't have to. Also, Kid doesn't like it when you track mud in the house. Just do as he says and he won't get mad, but even when he's angry, he's still polite and wouldn't do anything to hurt us. Honestly, I was surprised when he kicked you. Got it so far?"

"I think so," Ame nodded.

"Good," Liz smiled. "He's going to lecture you the first chance he gets, so be prepared. He tends to go on and on, but Patti and I'll be there to get you out of it if he goes on too long."

"Thanks," Ame smiled back at them. She paused and took a dive at a small object to the side of the sidewalk. "Shiny!"

"Did you fall down again?" Kid asked. Ame sat up and held a small object out to him. A paperclip.

"Could you stop accumulating crap?!" Kid asked. "We're trying to buy useful things today. Geez!"

"Hey, Kid!"

Ame looked up to see Soul and Maka making their way towards them. Maka had a coat thrown over her arm, even though it was at least eighty degrees outside. Honestly, it was late January, but still.

"Oh, hello, Maka, Soul," Kid greeted. "What's up?"

"Just out and about today," Maka replied. "What about you four? It's nice to see you all together."

"Just doing some shopping for Ame," Kid explained.

"I'm sure we could help you out some," Maka volunteered. "You know, I can pick out the stuff and Soul can carry the bags."

"Why do I have to carry the bags?" Soul complained. "You women, I can never understand why we're your servants. Besides, it's not like you have the best style anyway."

"Maka CHOP!"

"That would be good," Kid nodded, regarding Maka's offer. "I'm sure Ame would love some time with her other friends, mainly Soul."

"What the heck is that supposed to mean?!" Ame demanded, ramming her elbow into Kid's side. Kid collapsed to his hands and knees, gripping his side and pain.

"Nothing," he choked out.

So, the six of them continued downtown to the shops. Ame danced in the crowd; this small group of friends was her pack. However, if she really was going to live here, she should make more friends. It was her natural wolf instinct to have a big family. They turned another corner into a clothing store. Ame liked the scent of fresh fabric and carpet cleaner. Liz stepped in front of Kid, blocking his path.

"Oh, no you don't," she interrupted him. "Sorry, Kid, but this is not your forte. Maka, Patti, and I will take care of this."

"Make sure you get everything she needs," Kid reminded them, hesitantly handing over the list. "And she's not your doll! Control yourselves a bit, will you? Of course," Kid sighed as he watched Ame skip away excitedly.

"Kid," Soul said, draping one arm around his friend. "Lighten up. Stop keeping her to yourself all the time."

"I do not," Kid defended himself.

"Okay, then what was that comment about her wanting to see me, then?"

"Oh, that?" Kid began laughing nervously. "That was nothing. I was kidding, really."

"Okay, try this one," Liz said, throwing some jeans in Ame's arms. "And these would look good with this top…."

"And this one too!" Patti shouted, showering Ame in five different outfits.

The four girls tackled Ame into the dressing room and threw the first few sets of clothes over the door before going to join the boys in the waiting area in front of the mirrors. After a few minutes, Ame came out wearing skinny jeans and a t-shirt.

"That looks good on you, Ame," Liz praised one of the outfits she had picked out.

"Not bad," Maka agreed.

"What do you think?" Kid asked.

"I can't breathe," Ame whispered quietly. "Or move."

A small round of laughter passed over the group. Ame turned her back, tugging the shirt down extremely far over her backside as if to hide something. The next outfit she picked consisted of cotton flare pants and a tunic top.

"That looks better," Tsubaki complimented.

"How do you like it?"

"I'm glad this shirt is so long," Ame commented, to the others' surprise. She turned around, fiddling with her clothes. "These pants get in the way of my tail."

"Oh," Kid mumbled, blushing and looking away, and Patti began laughing.

Ame tried on a new outfit. This time, she was wearing a small black dress with an apron on the front. Actually, it wasn't just a dress; it was a maid's uniform! Kid and Soul got serious nosebleeds. Patti began to laugh hysterically, rolling on the floor with her laughter. The others tried containing their smirks and snickers.

"Go back in there and change immediately!" Kid commanded, pushing Ame back into the dressing room.

Ame came out wearing a red-trimmed white t-shirt and a red miniskirt. Her tail flicked about effortlessly; the skirt was short enough that she could just tuck her tail underneath it.

"I like this," she said. "My legs stay free, and it's kind of ventilated like a shrine maiden outfit so it probably won't tear when I transform. I like it."

"Finally."

"Now, onto shoes!" Liz exclaimed.

Soul Eater

"Well, then, try these shoes," Maka offered Ame a pair of simple tennis shoes. Ame turned her nose up.

"Ame, you're being too picky," Liz complained. 'Maybe it's a god thing. It'll be hell with two around if this keeps up.'

"What are you looking for exactly?" Maka tried to help the situation.

"Hm…" Ame grumbled, leaning her cheek on her fist. Her elbow was propped up on the arm of the chair she was sitting in. "I don't know what it is I want. I only know what I don't want. For instance, those are too hard to put on. Those are too easy to get off; they'd fall off. Those would tear if I transformed."

"This is getting ridiculous," Soul said, stepping forward and grabbing Maka's feet. Maka collapsed in a chair while he proceeded to steal her shoes and hand them to Ame. "Here. Try these."

Ame put the black and white boots on. She smiled in approval; they were already worn at the bottom, so they weren't very hard to move around in. They also smelled like Maka.

"I like these."

Kid facepalmed. Had she no manners? Maka giggled.

"I guess I was going to buy new ones soon anyway."

The six of them left the store with a few bags in hand. Ame looked up at the sky as grey clouds accumulated over the laughing sun. Kid glanced skyward as well as soft white flecks began floating to the ground.

"How lovely," he smiled. "It's snowing."

Ame tugged Kid's sleeve and sneezed very, VERY quietly. She was so cute when she sneezed. Actually, with how brutish she was, Kid kind of expected her sneezes to be louder. He shrugged and began digging through the bags for her coat. He held it out to her as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I told you you'd need it," Kid said, rather smugly. Ame slipped into her fur-lined coat in a split second, not even taking it out of Kid's hands, before running after the others. Kid stared after her before sighing and walking on.

"NYAOI!" Ame pounced on another object; Kid tripped over her body as she went down.

"Be more careful," Kid scolded, getting to his feet. Ame stood up and presented him her latest catch. He brightened up slightly. "Oh, you found a penny."

"Is it valuable?" Ame asked.

"Yes," Kid said, turning a corner. "But not much. If you find a lot, you can buy something for yourself."

"Um, something like…" Ame tugged on his sleeve and pointed through the nearest shop window at some warm pies. "Those?"

"Were you even listening to me?!" Kid demanded angrily.

After the food, Kid continued to lecture her.

"These things cost money, you know. I hope you won't be upset when I bill you."

"I can pay you back in time," Ame replied slyly.

"I hope you enjoy your clothes while you have them," Kid muttered on their way out.

"You meanie!" Ame snapped. "How am I going to get the money for that kind of thing?"

"You're good at cleaning," Kid said. "I bet you could get a job as a waitress somewhere. But you're so short; I doubt they'd take you."

"Why are you being so mean to me?" Ame whispered, squirming slightly. Kid laughed at her and decided to drop the act.

"I was only kidding. I'm sure your work around the house is payment enough," he said. Ame wagged her tail and held onto his arm.

"Does that mean we can go out for dinner tonight?"

"Uh…" Kid sweat-dropped, pulling away slightly. Looks like she was hungry again despite having eaten not five minutes ago. "Maybe next time, okay?"

"Okay!"

Liz smiled at the two as they made their way down the dark street.

"It's nice to have her around like this," she said. "I've never seen Kid smile so much."

"You're not a bit jealous, are you?" Maka asked. "I understand how you might feel; I get that way whenever Soul gets some admiration letter from anyone at school even though I know he won't leave me."

"On, no, not at all," Liz said, waving her hand in front of her face defensively. "It's not like that between Kid and me. Besides it's not really like that between them either. We just want it to be."

"They are kind of cute together, aren't they?" Maka asked.

"So cute!" Patti agreed.


	19. Chapter 19

The next week, Kid had some homework that Maka had agreed to help him with. Liz and Patti went out on their own, but Ame was left with nothing to do. Since she didn't want to stay home, Kid didn't have any other choice than to bring her along.

"Maka and I are studying," Kid told her. "Why don't you go downstairs and play with Soul for a bit, okay?"

Ame pouted slightly, but she was happy that she still had someone to play with. When she got downstairs, Soul was playing videogames.

"Soul, watcha doing?" Ame asked, holding Blair close to her chest. She peered over his shoulder at the TV.

"Playing Oblivion," he replied monotonously. He paused the game and glanced at her from the corner of his eye. "Wanna try?"

"Is it fun?"

"Better than studying."

Ame the Amazing Stylus-Loser! You Got A Job Where?!

Ame pressed the start button and stared at the TV. She started moving around as Soul had instructed her.

"This isn't so bad," Ame chirped. "So what's the plan?"

"You're in a dungeon," Soul said. "You're trying to get out. There will be some bad guys like rats and goblins, but it shouldn't be too hard for you."

Ame continued skipping through the dungeon until the music changed and a goblin began charging at her.

"Skipping, skipping—oh lord," Ame paused.

"Draw your weapon," Soul instructed.

"Right trigger?"

"Yeah."

The screen was alight with flames.

"You idiot, that's the left trigger!"

"At least I flamed the guy," Ame said.

"You missed the goblin and got the rum!"

"I burned the rum?"

"You burned the rum!"

"Why's the rum gone?"

"Move out of the way!" Soul sweat-dropped. "That's the left joystick. Didn't we just establish this?"

They both began laughing as the game over screen came on.

"Shut up, you two," Maka shouted down the stairs. "We're studying."

"You suck," Soul said. "Let's try something easier. Ever heard of the Nintendo DS?"

After Ame was done being fascinated by how the stylus clicked in and out of the machine, Soul set her up with a standard Mario game and went into the kitchen to get some snacks. When he returned forty seconds later with a bag of chips, Ame was searching the couch cushions furiously.

"Um… what's your problem?"

"Soul, I lost the stylus," she gasped.

"Don't sweat it," Soul said, handing her another one from the case. "Use it wisely."

He turned off the game console and grabbed the remote, flipping through a few channels idly as he sat down next to Ame, who was panicking again. He looked at her and she gave him a sheepish smile.

"I uh…."

"What?"

"I lost the other one, too."

"Are you serious?!"

Ame felt bad for losing Soul's styluses—styli?—and wanted to pay him back again. After a bit of thinking, she decided she'd get a job that pays money so she could buy more for him. That would surely work.

"I got a job today," Ame announced over dinner the next day.

"What?"

"That's great!"

"Ame," Kid said. "You know I was kidding about having you pay me back. You don't have to do this."

"Don't worry; I want the money for other reasons," Ame replied. "I'll be working from nine to four, and it's only a week, so I'm sure I can keep the house in good shape, too."

"Isn't that a bit extreme for your attention span?" Kid asked regarding the full time hours.

"Anything else you'd like to say?" Ame asked sweetly.

"Knowing you, you might quit for silly reasons like you're tired or you're hungry. You screw a lot of things up, too, and oh yeah! You are freakishly short; how did you get a job?"

"Go ahead and laugh, I still had a growth spurt while I was gone," Ame stated. She was right; she grew a few inches in her leave. But she was still tiny. "But I'd skip out on lunch tomorrow, if I were you."

Soul Eater

"Do you think she was serious?" Liz asked Kid the next day, eyeing their bento box lunches Ame had packed for them.

"I don't know," Kid whispered. He was terribly hungry and wanted to maintain proper meal times. "I'm technically immune to poison, but still…."

"I got an idea!" Patti cheered. "How about we go out for lunch at that cute new café?"

Ame straightened the fake cat ears on her head and the fake tail she'd tied to her real one. She grabbed the plates off the counter and took them to their designated tables; being a waitress wasn't all that hard. And the customers seemed to like her.

"Can I get some more coke please?" someone called across the room. Ame was standing in front of him the next minute, holding a glass of the requested beverage. The man smiled; the service here was fast for only having a few waitresses. And this one was especially cute.

"Enjoy it," Ame smiled. Her ears perked as she heard the bell ring and another group sit down. It sounded like three people. Ame skipped to the new table and put her hands up in front of her chest like a cat. "Welcome home, Master!"

She opened her eyes and froze.

"And that was one of those moments…" Ame narrated mentally. " I said something like 'Welcome home Master!'and when I looked up….

I saw it was my boyfriend."

"Eeeehhhh," Ame's mouth twitched as she looked at the café's newest guests. One was a rather tall blond girl and the other was her shorter blond twin sister… the other was a boy about Ame's age. He had black hair and three white stripes on one side with piercing golden eyes.

"Oh," Kid said, his face still blank with shock. "Now I get it."

Ame blushed even deeper. She felt so unsure of herself as a waitress until she remembered something from a long time ago. Liz and Patti had been on probation and working at a café. One day when Kid came in, Liz got angry since he was keeping tabs on him and said something Ame never really forgot. Ame put on a proud grin, puffed out her chest, spread her feet apart, and put her hands on her hips.

"Order something or get out," she snorted.

Kid blinked in confusion, glancing at Liz once. He remembered as well. He hadn't known Ame back then, and he didn't remember ever mentioning it. Anyway, what was odd was that Ame was trying to imitate Liz, but she was too tiny and cute to take seriously. After taking their orders, Ame left and Kid and the other two were left alone again.

"She saw that?" Liz asked, giggling slightly. It was clear she wasn't the slightest bit ashamed.

"At least she didn't throw a cup at me," Kid muttered, snickering as well. He raised his head when he heard Ame laughing with someone at the next table.

"Sorry, I'm taken," she said, pointing to Kid, who put his head down on the table in humiliation.

"Kill me."

The boy looked at Kid with tears running from his eyes. "You're a lucky guy. Of course it's always Lord Death's son who gets the best."

"Does he even know who she is?" Kid thought.

Ame continued working long after Kid left. She recognized some of the otaku customers and would make a lot of jokes with them. She was friendly with everybody and happy to be there. The master of the café was impressed; he honestly thought she couldn't promote bad service to anybody until a certain person walked in.

"Is he extremely important?" Ame asked the master.

"He's awful loud," the master replied. "I've never seen him in the otaku market before."

"I don't like him," Ame said quietly, putting her ears back. Master put a hand between her fake ears and she looked up at him.

"Don't worry too much about it," he told her. He wasn't particularly friendly if any harm came to his employees. Ame nodded and went to the newcomer's table.

"Konichiwa," Ame said in the friendliest way possible. She didn't want to seem stiff, but doing the whole 'welcome home' was too weird with this guy.

"Yeah, I'd like some yakisoba please," the man replied. Ame tensed. He sounded like… someone familiar….

"We don't have any," Ame said quietly.

"Let's try that again," he said, getting to his feet. He towered over Ame. "I want yakisoba. Is there a problem with that?"

Ame twitched. HIS VOICE!

"The service here is terrible. The master should really show his employees some discipline."

**"Can you shut those kids up? Show them some discipline; we're trying to sleep!"**

The master was behind the counter, watching the scene go down. She didn't deserve to be treated like that. He was about to give the customer the death glare when cute and innocent Ame did something no one expected. She flattened her ears back against her skull and snapped her head forward, head-bashing the man into total knock-out.

The other customers stared at the childish waitress in unbelievable horror. Ame was grinning, snuffing smugly.

"Good work, Ame," the master said quietly.

Anyway, the week was over before Ame knew it. Kid had gone back to the café a couple times to see how she was holding up in the human world; the otaku café became more popular than expected because of Ame's talent. Once Ame got her pay, she bought the styluses she promised Soul and met him after school the next day.

"What's up?" Soul asked, seeing Ame standing by one of the pillars. Maka watched from the gates as Ame gave Soul a bag and bowed her head before turning to run. Soul regrouped with Maka with a small grin on his face.

"So what'd she want?" Maka asked. Soul opened the bag for Maka to see. Maka gasped.

"Styluses," he replied. "She felt bad for losing the others and bought a bunch. She's such a blockhead sometimes."

They went home and Soul put the bag of styluses on the couch lazily.

"Soul," Maka chided.

"Fine, fine," Soul mumbled, going to retrieve the bag to take it into his room. However, when he reached the couch, he saw something small and thin resting on the arm. Soul stiffened and picked up the stylus he had lost a week ago.

"WHY?!"


	20. Chapter 20

"You mean you spent all that money on styluses for Soul's DS?" Kid inquired Ame. They were in the dining room, the designated grounds for family meetings and—newly established—Kid yelling at Ame. Kid was standing in front of Ame with his arms crossed and Ame was sitting across from him in a chair. She had her head down.

"I did," she admitted. "Are you angry?"

Kid suddenly began laughing, startling Ame and driving her to jump out of her chair.

"I can't believe you spent all that money on _him_! Soul's right, you really are a… blockhead sometimes," Kid wiped away a tear and held his hand out for Ame to help her to her feet. Ame took it and smiled slightly. Deep down, she felt kind of ashamed. He didn't know what else she'd spent the money on, and she was hesitant to bring it up.

Tomorrow was Valentine's Day.

Happy Valentine's Day

Snow coated the ground the next morning. Liz and Patti were the first outside, eager to play in the rare joy. Ame and Kid, on the other hand, bundled up in their coats and stood on the sidelines of the park to watch.

"It's so cold today," Kid sighed, looking up at the sky. He felt something leaning against him and looked down. Ame was leaning on him, her eyelids drooping slightly. "It's kind of pretty, isn't it?"

Ame snapped upright, shaking the snow off her head. She looked out at the field of white, exhaling a cloud and nodding. Kid smiled slightly and began petting Ame between the ears to keep her head warm. She made a sound in the back of her throat, almost like a sigh or a purr.. it seemed she liked it. Nagi and Rin were in their human forms, playing with Liz and Patti. They seemed to be having fun.

"So, got any dates tonight?" Liz taunted as Nagi threw some snow at her. The older triplet was tall and athletic despite his lacking of divine powers. Rin was shorter and ganglier.

"Of course not! Human girls don't really like the wolf thing," Nagi replied, kicking more snow in her direction. Liz dodged the attack. "Why would I anyway?"

"Don't you know what day it is?" Liz laughed. "Patti, would you like to explain?"

"Valentine's Day is when Ame and Kid get a day to themselves!" Patti said. Liz sweat-dropped. She never fully understood how Patti could be so supportive of the KidxAme shipping.

"Oh, I see how it is," Nagi laughed.

"He'd better treat my sis like a gentleman should!" Rin shouted. He was shorter than his brother and acted a bit young for his age, but hey, that just made him even more like Patti. "I'll shred his liver if he hurts her!"

Nagi sweat-dropped. Yes, the ladies dig a violent younger brother.

"Sorry about that," Liz apologized as Patti and Rin continued playing. "Patti's kind of weird like that; she's fond of Ame."

"No, I should apologize," Nagi said. It was odd apologizing to a human; he usually hated humans. "Rin is kind of violent, but he actually likes your partner a lot."

"Patti is violent too, so I'm completely used to it," Liz said, waving her hands in front of her face. "Anyway, if you don't have anything to do tonight, I'd be glad to take you and Rin out to a movie. You know, as a courtesy thing since you've never been on a date before. I'll buy."

"That would be cool," Nagi nodded. He glanced at Rin, who stuffed snow down Patti's coat. Patti squealed and charged at him. "Rin's kind of childish, but he's good with scary movies."

"Patti too!" Liz was astounded by the uncanny resemblance. "She can take on anything." She shivered slightly.

"What about you?" Nagi asked. Liz looked down shamefully.

"I hate ghosts and spirits and stuff," she admitted with a nervous laugh. She'd never opened up to anyone before. Nagi stepped toward her, closing the distance between them and wrapping an arm around her.

"Then I'll protect you," he said, flashing his fangs in a facetious grin before giving her a kiss on the cheek. Liz blushed and pushed him away.

"I will shoot you if you do that again!" she warned frantically.

Nagi laughed. "You're cute. Now, about my sister. Did she give him the chocolate yet?"

"What chocolate?"

Ame watched the others play in the snow and glanced at Kid. He was staring ahead, unmoving; he was either tired or angry. He shifted his gaze to her and she stiffened, jolting forward again. Kid laughed under his breath and put his hand on her head down in a soft patting motion, making her stiffen and squeak.

"Ame," he said in a low voice. "What did you do this time?"

Ame sighed, reaching up and taking his hand in hers. Kid never noticed how small her hands were before. So fragile and tiny… Ame turned to him, putting her feet up on the bench behind her so she had his full attention. She put a small red box in his hands.

"Happy Valentine's Day, Kid," she murmured. Kid looked at the box in his hands with a breathless expression. He'd never really accepted chocolate before. He'd received some from his 'secret admirers' at school, which he usually threw out or more often gave to Liz and Patti, but he'd never expected something from Ame. Of course, with how serious she was about them, it did make sense, but the question was… is this courtesy chocolate or something more?

Kid smiled warmly at her like he knew she liked. "Thank you… Amaterasu."

Ame stared at him with a blank expression, two thin trails of blood running down her upper lip. Kid repressed a sigh. That wasn't very ladylike, but still… it was kind of cute that she'd get so excited about him using her full name.

Soul Eater

Kid and Ame went shopping for that night's dinner. Since the other four were going out, Kid and Ame would be left alone, and it seemed like a waste to cook an entire meal for two people. Kid really didn't want to take Ame, at first, since it was a supermarket and it was Valentine's Day and he'd probably have to buy her whatever she wants. However, after a brief argument, Kid found himself standing in front of the supermarket with Ame at his side. He sighed; might as well let her have her way once in a while.

"What would you like for dinner?" he asked her as he picked up a basket and began browsing the aisles.

"Can I have anything I want?" Ame asked excitedly.

"I have limits, Ame," Kid laughed.

"Then I want frozen TV dinners," Ame said. Kid yelped in surprise as she gave him a forceful but comical shove into the correct aisle.

"How untraditional," Kid thought. Ame opened up the small freezer and reached for the top shelf. Kid was reading the back of one box when he noticed her troubles. She was too short. He sighed and reached above his head to retrieve one of the boxes.

"How many do you want?" he asked, reading the label on the back.

"Just one."

"Are you sure one is going to be enough for you?" Kid asked. Ame shot him the death glare.

"Don't make me smack you," she snarled under her breath. Kid smiled, but cringed obediently, putting their food in the basket. With that, they moved on to produce. Kid paused by one of the side racks first, picking something up and showing it to Ame.

"I know I shouldn't get too much," he said, showing her the box of strawberry Pocky. "But it's a holiday; you deserve at least a few sweets. I'll pick up some honey biscuits for you, too. Maybe wolves crave honey; it's not too sweet or too sour."

"Yes!" Ame cheered, sticking to his arm as they continued to the vegetables. Ame tried to not wrinkle her nose; she didn't like anything Kid was looking at. She let her eyes wander over to the fruits and paused when she saw a woman standing there. The supermarket was full of people, but this person stood out to her. She was wearing a black jacket and her long blond hair hung loosely about her face. She had an eye-patch over one eye. Ame didn't really care about that; she had her eyes on the wrapped container of sushi in her basket. Ame snatched the Pocky from Kid's basket without him noticing and stood in front of the lady.

"Oh, hello there," the woman smiled at her kind-heartedly. "Are you lost, honey?"

Apparently Ame was short enough to pass for a child in her eyes. Ame offered the Pocky and pointed to the sushi in the lady's basket. The woman looked down as if she didn't understand.

"Make trade," Ame suggested.

"Hmm? You want this?"

Ame nodded.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I need it for dinner tonight."

"No worries," Ame said, holding out the Pocky. "We trade."

"But I don't need that."

"Ame!" Kid snapped, realizing what was going on. He turned to the woman, hoping Ame's harassment hadn't scared her. "I'm terribly sorry about this… Miss Marie."

"Hi, Kid," the woman smiled, waving slightly. Ame's ears twitched. They knew each other? Getting that sushi would be a cinch now! "You know this little girl? Are you babysitting?"

"She's my age," Kid said, the two of them sweat-dropping. Ame sniggered under her breath.

"Oh! Sorry," Marie said in a panicky tone. "It's hard to see her in that coat, you know?"

"Yes," Kid nodded. "She's—"

"His betrothed," Ame interjected in a dark voice.

"Not from around here," Kid snapped. He tugged either side of Ame's hair as if to cover up the fact she didn't have human ears. "See? She's socially inept. Hahaha."

"Ah, you must be Amaterasu, then," Marie realized, shifting her gaze to Ame. Ame gasped; she knew her? "Or Ame, I guess you want to be called. I've never seen Kid so high-strung about anybody before. You must be his girlfriend. Lord Death is right; you two are cute together."

"My father said what?!" Kid demanded as Marie began walking away.

"Here," Marie said, holding the sushi out for Ame. "I guess a wolf has to eat more than we do anyway. You like sushi?"

"I like rice balls more," Ame said.

"Ame!" Kid scolded.

"I like the way the seaweed and rice taste. I guess they aren't too spicy for me; I hate spicy things…."

"And she's ignoring me," Kid realized as Marie began stroking Ame's head. This brought to his mind a compelling question. "Why do they all ignore me when Ame is around?"

"So you spent the rest of your money on chocolate, is that it?" Kid asked Ame later that evening. They were in his room, dressed casually and snacking on the Pocky they'd gotten earlier. Kid thought they would do something more special, but the one thing he liked most about Ame was her ability to understand him. Wolf or not, she understood what it was like to be a god.

"I still have some left over," Ame replied, a stick of Pocky dangling from between her teeth. "The customers gave me a bunch in tips. But I'll probably transfer it to yen if we are to go to Japan soon. Will you help me?"

"Sure," Kid nodded, straightening the lamps on either of his bedside tables. "Maybe we can take a small detour and visit that village you wandered into. Cheri Village, right? They're the last civilization to worship Ikiru. You'd like that, wouldn't you?"

"Perhaps," Ame murmured. Her voice was small and slightly strained. Kid turned around to look at her; she was staring into her empty cup with a distant gaze, her face was flushed and her tail curled around her hips, the tip resting on the center of her back.

"You've been drinking a lot," Kid noted. Ame set her cup down and rolled onto her side. "Hey, don't ignore me. Did you eat too much?"

"If I go back, that woman would probably hit me again," Ame muttered. "I don't like it when people hit me."

"It makes you lonely, doesn't it?" Kid asked, moving to sit on the edge of the bed. "I apologize; I never meant to upset you. Maybe you are higher than me. No, wait—I didn't mean that!" Kid wracked his brain for a better thing to say. "You're not anything special, not that came out wrong… ordinary? No, that's not it either…."

Ame started laughing. She flopped onto her stomach and continued giggling for a few moments. "Not so eloquent after all, are we? Honestly, with your vocabulary, you'll never attract women."

"Why you!" Kid started. Ame rolled of the other side of the bed and landed on her knees.

"That's why you have me," she said, tilting her head and giving a toothy grin. Kid smiled back at her; he couldn't help it.

"So how do you like the biscuits?" he asked.

"You were right about the honey, I like it," Ame smiled, wagging her tail, proud of her friend for finding what he sought. "And the apple cider tastes lovely with it."

"I'm glad," Kid smiled, kicking his feet in the air inattentively and folding his arms underneath him.

The next morning, Ame wasn't speaking. She met Liz, Patti, and Kid downstairs for dinner and held up a sign.

"Throat hurts. Too much honey. Don't like anymore."

Kid slammed his head on the table.

**Wow this feels really out of place when it's almost Thanksgiving! It's a sweet chapter anyway. And too bad about the honey! Kid was so close! But he missed…**


End file.
